BV  3625  .C6  B43  1920 
Bedinger,  Robert  Dabney. 
Triumphs  of  the  Gospel  in 
the  Belgian  Congo 


Rev.  S.  N.  Lapsley,  pioneer  missionary  to  Africa 


8    1965 


Crtumpf)*  of  tfte  #o£pel 

in  the 

Belgian  Congo 


Being  some  account  of  the  mission  work  that 

has    been    carried    on    in    the    Belgian    Congo, 

Africa,  since  1890  by  the  Presbyterian  Church 

in  the  United    States 


By 

Rev.  Robert  Dabney  Bedinger 

A  Missionary  to  Africa  Since  191 1 


published  by 

Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication 

richmond,    va. — texarkana,   ark.-tex. 


c^ 


WHITTET    a    SHEPPERSON.    PRINTERS 
RICHMOND.    VA. 


©etrtcation 

To 

The  memory  of  Rev.  William  McCufchen  Morri- 
son, D.  D.,  missionary  statesman,  eminent  trans- 
lator, defender  of  the  weak,  humble  man  of  God, 
who  gave  twenty-one  years  of  tireless  service  for 
the  redemption  of  Africa,  and  who  entered  into  his 
eternal  rest  on.  March  14,  1918,  this  book  is  affec- 
tionately dedicated  by 


V. 


QTfje  gutfjor 


^ 


Congo's!  i^eeb 

Isa.  44:14. 
From  his  hut  of  leaves  and  rushes, 

See,  a  dusky  native  goes ; 
Searches  mid  the  trees  and  bushes 

Where  the  mighty  Congo  flows ; 
Finds  a  tree  which  suits  his  fancy, 

Cuts   a    log  and    homeward    goes. 

Now  with  chisel  and  with  mallet 

Fashions   he  the  piece  of  wood ; 
Then    from   out   a   dirty   wallet 

Takes  his  'bwanga'  strong  and  good ; 
Smears  it  on  the  ugly  fetish, 

Which  has  now  become  his  god. 

Ps.  115:8. 
And   a  more  degraded   creature, 

'T would    indeed    be    hard    to    find ; 
Sin  is  stamped  on  every  feature 

Of   his   body  and   his   mind ; 
As  his  fetish,  so  his  heart  is, 

Filthy,   naked,   wretched,   blind. 

Jn.  3:16. 
But  at  last  he  hears  the  story 

Of  the  wondrous  Grace  of  God, 
Of  the  One  who  left  the  Glory, 

And  this  world  of  darkness  trod ; 
How  He  died  for  guilty  sinners, 

To  redeem  them  by  His  blood. 

Now  we  see  the  native  turning 

From  his  idols  and  his  sin ; 
His  enlightened  heart  is  burning 

With  a  strange  new  love  within ; 
He  who   once  was   poor  and   wretched, 

Now  is  happy,  ransomed,  clean. 

One  to  God  has  been  converted, 

Thousands  still  remain  the  same; 
Thoughts  and  actions  all  perverted, 

Knowing  not  the  Saviour's  name ; 
Serving  Satan,  not  their  Maker, 

Living  lives  of  sin  and  shame. 

Lord,  increase  our  love,  we  pray  Thee, 

Fields  are  ripe,  and  servants  few; 
Teach  us  gladly  to  obey  Thee, 

Give  us  willing  hearts  and  true 
That,  responsive  to  thy  bidding, 

We  may  seek  Thy  will  to  do. 

— H.   Wilson,  Inkongo,  Congo  Beige 


Contents 

Page 

"Congo's  Need"   6 

Introduction    1 1 

Preface    13 

I.  Following  God  15 

II.  Gaining  the  People 43 

III.  A  Growing  Work  81 

IV.  A  Fruitful  Church  113 

V.  On  the  Trail  143 

Forward  !   169 

Appendix  I   197 

Appendix  II   205 

Appendix  III    209 

Bibliography    211 

Our  Missionaries  to  the  Congo  212 

Index   215 


-"'    o\ 

21  WfSONGO 

o"1 


Wtn^o   NiamaoZo  

LuBEFO/90/         BlBAfffruV 


LUSA 


«.**(   ?**A        /^MuToneo  KatAh 

nBONJii  / 


♦/  Mutoto 


<M% 


»-»- 


/7LULUABURG 


^ 


\MUSHEN<IE  /_. — « — -'" 


■Vi'BASOMGO 


JiMA/A"2, 


* 


fl5 


,  MoshiE9i 


^  KlHGUSHI 


-tOPOUDVILLE 
'3VILLE 


BOMO/ 


>2  Matadi 

'l  umd6rhill-the  4fot  where 


Map  of  the  Lower  Congo  and  Kasai  Rivers. 


^Illustrations 


Page 

Rev.    S.    N.    Lapsley    Frontispiece 

Map  of  Congo  Beige  8 

Rev.  W.  H.  Sheppard,  D.  D 18 

Scene   on   Lulua    River    28 

The   Place  Where    Stanley   Met   Livingstone 31 

Luebo   Campus    33 

Brickyard    at    Luebo    47 

Rev.  W.  M.  Morrison,  D.  D 50 

Village    Boys     , 54 

Heathen    and    Christian    Women     56 

Girls    of    Pantop's    Home 58 

Miss  Maria  Fearing   59 

Views  of  Carson  Industrial  School  66 

"The   Steamer   of   God,"   The   S.    N.   Lapsley    68 

Three  Views  of  Lusambo   72 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Rochester   76 

Logging,  Buffalo  Heads,  Fetishes,  A  Python   78 

Luebo  Teachers    So 

Prayer  Meeting  at  Luebo   86 

Kalamba,    Chief   of   Luluas    92 

Mrs.  W.   M.   Morrison    94 

Lusambo    Station    96 

Group  of  Bakuba  and  some  of  their  handiwork  100 

The    Happy    Father    of    one    of    the    best    native    Evangelists 

at    Luebo    112 

Converts    given    to    the    Methodist's    120 

Pastor   Musonguela  and  Family    125 

A    Missionary's    Home    130 

Voluntary  Workers   134 

A  Native  Hut.  Rev.  A.  C.  McKinnon   140 

A    Bakuba    Chief    142 

Pineapples  Grown  in  Luebo   142 

The  Trail   150 

A   Swinging  Vine   Bridge    152 

Luebo   "Pullman"    167 

Map    of    Africa     168 

Two  Views   Wembo   Niama   188 

Map  of   Belgian   Congo    190 

A   Luebo   Deacon   and   Family    204 

The  Luebo  Missionary  Conference  of  Congo  Societies 208 


Sittfotiuction 


THE  Mission  Study  Classes  of  our  Church  have  used 
recently  two  text-books  dealing  with  our  own  work, 
and  written  by  our  own  missionaries,  "Fifty  Years 
in  China"  by  Rev.  S.  I.  Woodbridge,  and  "Day  in  and  Day 
Out  in  Korea,"  by  Mrs.  Anabel  Major  Nisbet,  whose  la- 
mented death  occurred  before  her  book  was  published. 

The  Foreign  Mission  Committee  has  no  fixed  policy  in 
recommending  Mission  Study  text-books.  The  Missionary 
Education  Movement  and  The  Central  Committee  on  the 
United  Study  of  Foreign  Missions  have  been  of  invaluable 
service  to  our  Church,  as  well  as  to  other  churches  in  fur- 
nishing Mission  Study  text-books,  and  their  publications 
will  still  be  recommended  and  widely  used. 

The  Foreign  Mission  Committee,  however,  when  an  op- 
portunity offers  to  secure  a  satisfactory  text-book,  dealing 
with  our  own  work,  feels  that  the  opportunity  should  be 
embraced ;  and  although  the  Study  Classes  in  our  Church 
used  books  on  Africa  only  three  years  ago,  it  has  seemed 
best  to  recommend  "Triumphs  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Belgian 
Congo"  by  Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger,  of  our  Congo  Mission,  for 
use  in  1921-22. 

More  than  six  years  ago  Mr.  Bedinger  was  asked  by 
the  Committee  to  write  a  book  on  our  Congo  Mission,  but 
he  was  not  able  to  write  it  until  the  present  year,  mainly 
because  the  Mission  was  shorthanded,  and  his  whole  time 
and  energy  were  consumed  in  trying  to  help  hold  the  work 
together. 

There  are  three  great  missions  in  Africa :  the  Kamerun 
Mission  of  Presbyterian  Church  (U.  S.  A.),  the  Uganda 
Mission  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  of  London,  and 
the  Congo  Mission  of  our  own  Church.  There  is  no  need 
to  attempt  comparisons,  but  it  is  proper  to  say  that  our 


own  Mission  is  fully  entitled  to  be  classed  with  the  other 
two.  These  three  missions  form  a  barrier  against  the  tide 
of  Mohammedanism,  which  is  sweeping  down  from  North- 
ern Africa,  and  it  would  be  a  real  calamity  if  these  mis- 
sions were  not  maintained  at  the  very  highest  efficiency. 

The  study  of  Mr.  Bedinger's  book  will  convince  any 
open-minded  person  of  the  great  importance  of  our  Congo 
Mission  and  of  the  marvelous  results  which  it  has  attained 
in  spite  of  scant  equipment  and  insufficient  staff,  and  the 
effects  of  a  tropical  climate. 

It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  this  book  will  be  widely  used 
throughout  our  Church,  not  only  in  Mission  Study  Classes, 
but  in  the  homes  of  our  people.  Whatever  may  be  the  future 
development  of  our  Congo  Mission,  this  book  will  remain 
the  standard  source  of  information  about  the  work  from 
the  beginning  to  the  present  time. 


Jno.  I.  Armstrong. 


Nashville,   Tenn. 
June  2,  1920b 


preface 


THIS  book  is  a  simple,  matter-of-fact  story  of  our 
Congo  Mission.  In  the  attempt  to  keep  it  within 
the  requested  limits  many  important  and  inter- 
esting details  have  been  necessarily  omitted.  It  will  be 
well  for  the  reader  to  turn  to  the  appendices,  before  begin- 
ning the  study  of  the  book,  in  order  to  gain  some  con- 
ception of  the  political  status  of  the  Belgian  Congo. 

The  book  is  sent  forth  with  the  earnest  prayer  that  it 
may  be  greatly  used  of  God  for  hastening  the  coming  of 
His  Kingdom  throughout  Africa  and  the  world. 

I  wish  to  record  my  deep  appreciation  of  the  generous 
assistance  rendered  by  the  following:  my  colleagues  on  the 
field;  Rev.  John  I.  Armstrong,  D.  D.,  of  Nashville,  Tenn., 
and  Mrs.  R.  F.  Campbell,  of  Asheville,  N.  C,  who  read  the 
manuscript  and  offered  valuable  suggestions;  Miss  Hazel 
Rush,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C,  who  gratuitously  put  several  of 
the  chapters  into  typewritten  form;  Rev.  T.  E.  Reeve  and 
Mr.  J.  A.  Stockwell,  of  the  Methodist  Congo  Mission,  who 
kindly  supplied  several  of  the  accompanying  illustrations; 
and  Mr.  R.  E.  Magill,  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  I  also  thank 
the  different  Congo  Missionary  Societies  for  the  data 
which  has  been  used  in  Appendix  III. 

Robert  Dabney  Bedinger. 
Asheville,  N.  C. 
June  i,  1920. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Jfollotomg  <£ob 

(1890-1894) 


CHAPTER  I. 

Jfollotoing  &ob 

The  Home  Qiurch: 

(i)     The  School  of  Experience 

(2)  Accepting  Responsibility 

(3)  J.  Leighton  Wilson 

(4)  The   Tuscaloosa   Institute. 

(5)  Lapsley  and  Sheppard 

In    London : 

(1)  Necessity   for   Agency 

(2)  Messrs.    Whyte,    Rigsdale    and    Company 

In  the  Lower  Congo : 

(1)  The  Congo  Cataracts 

(2)  Transport  Bases 

(3)  Christian  Comity 

In   Searching  for  Field : 

(1)  Pre-empted   Territories 

(2)  The  First  Exploration 

(3)  The   Second  Exploration 


In   Selecting  Luebo : 

(1) 

Its    Openness 

(2) 

Its  Strategic  Value 

(3) 

A   Populous   Region 

(4) 

A   Compact  Area 

(5) 

A  Unified  Language. 

(6) 

Its    Health  fulness. 

In    Fiery    Trials : 

(1) 

Luebo  in  1891 

(2) 

Fevers 

(3) 

Lapsley's  Last  Journey 

(4) 

Re-enforcements 

(5) 

Other  Losses 

(6) 

The    Spirit    Guiding 

CHAPTER  I. 

jfollotoing  (Hob 

(1890- 1 894) 

The  providences  of  God  run  through  the  American 
Presbyterian  Congo  Mission  like  the  vein  of  gold  through 
the  stratum  of  rock. 

THE  HOME  CHURCH 

The  School  of  Experience. — It  was  a  severe  provi- 
dence that  early  in  the  history  of  our  struggling  repub- 
lic deposited  the  black  man  in  our  midst.  In  the  hard 
school  of  experience  we  have  learned,  to  some  degree, 
how  to  deal  with  him,  and  he  with  us.  This  in  some 
measure,  at  least,  accounts  for  the  marvelous  success 
from  the  start  of  our  work  in   Africa. 

Accepting  Responsibility. — At  the  very  beginning  of 
our  separate  existence,  in  1861,  the  first  Assembly  "di- 
rected the  longing  eyes  of  the  Church  especially  to  Africa 
and  South  America."  At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  the 
Assembly  resolved  that  the  Executive  Committee  direct 
special  "attention  to  Africa,  as  a  field  of  missionary  labor 
peculiarly  appropriate  to  this  Church ;  and  with  this  in 
view,  to  secure  as  practicable  missionaries  from  among 
the  African  race  on  this  continent  who  may  bear  the 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  to  the  homes  of  their  ances- 
tors." 

J.  Leighton  Wilson. — This  solemn  deliverance  was 
kept  ever  before  the  Church  through  the  eloquent  tongue 
and  gifted  pen  of  the  Rev.  J.  Leighton  Wilson,  D.  D., 
who  had  spent  nearly  twenty  years  of  missionary  life  in 
Africa,  first  in  Liberia,  then  in  the  French  Gaboon. 


Rev.  Wm.  H.  Sheppard,  D.  D. 


FOLLOWING   GOD  19 

Tuscaloosa  Institute. — In  1877  the  Assembly  ordered 
the  establishment  at  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama,  of  an  insti- 
tute for  the  education  of  colored  preachers,  and  later 
commended  it  to  the  people  of  God  "not  only  as  an  im- 
portant means  of  usefulness,  but  as  the  most  direct 
method  yet  devised  of  relieving  the  Church  of  the  im- 
mense responsibility  in  regard  to  the  African  race  which 
has  been  laid  upon  it." 

Sheppard  and  Lapsley. — Four  years  later  a  young 
colored  man,  Mr.  William  H.  Sheppard,  entered  the  Tus- 
caloosa Institute.  Early  in  his  boyhood  a  Virginia  lady, 
Mrs.  Ann  Bruce,  had  placed  her  hand  on  his  head,  say- 
ing, "William,  I  pray  for  you,  and  hope  some  day  you 
may  go  to  Africa  as  a  missionary."  This  made  a  deep 
impression,  and  during  the  years  at  Tuscaloosa  an  earnest 
desire  was  quickened  in  his  heart  to  go  as  a  missionary 
to  the  land  of  his  forefathers.  Upon  graduating  he 
offered  himself  for  service  in  Africa. 

The  Committee  hesitated  to  send  this  untried,  inex- 
perienced colored  man  alone  into  the  heart  of  Africa. 
But  when,  in  1889,  a  talented  young  white  man,  Rev. 
Samuel  N.  Lapsley,  offered  his  services  in  the  same  cause 
the  Committee  gladly  turned  to  Mr.  Sheppard.  And 
thus,  on  February  26,  1890,  the  two  consecrated  soldiers 
of  the  cross,  the  white  man  of  Alabama  and  the  colored 
man  of  Virginia,  sailed  from  New  York  as  pioneers  to 
found  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Mission  in  the  Congo 
Free  State. 

IN  LONDON 

The  Necessity  for  an  Agency. — The  invasion  of  a 
country  that  had  been  but  recently  opened  to  the  white 
man  was  no  small  undertaking.  The  pioneers  had  to  be 
provided  with  the  necessary  equipment  of  personal  ef- 
fects, barter  goods,  money,  and  food,  since  these  things 
were  unobtainable  in  the  Congo.     They  had  to  have  a 


JO      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

base  to  which  they  could  turn  from  time  to  time  for  fresh 
supplies.  Reasons  of  economy  and  the  great  distance 
made  it  impracticable  to  depend  upon  an  agency  in 
America.  Accordingly  they  set  their  faces  towards  the 
great  metropolis. 

Messrs.  Whyte,  Ridsdale  and  Company. — On  board 
their  steamer  was  a  Scotch  elder,  Mr.  Brodie,  who  be- 
came interested  in  the  project  of  Lapsley  and  Sheppard. 
He  rendered  them  and  our  Mission  a  great  service  in 
introducing  them  to  Mr.  Robert  Whyte,  head  of  the  firm 
of  Whyte,  Ridsdale  and  Company,  wholesale  merchants 
in  the  heart  of  busy  London. 

Mr.  Whyte,  a  Presbyterian  elder,  is  represented  in 
the  Mission  field  by  a  son  who  is  a  medical  missionary 
to  China.  For  many  years  he  has  conducted  a  class  of 
young  men  in  the  Regent  Square  Presbyterian  Church, 
London,  with  whom  he  himself  has  kept  in  constant 
touch,  although  many  have  gone  to  the  utmost  ends  of 
the  earth.  Since  his  retirement  from  business  he  has, 
like  many  public-spirited  gentlemen,  devoted  his  time  to 
civic  and  religious  affairs.  His  great  influence  in  politi- 
cal circles  has  been  of  incalculable  helpfulness  to  us  in 
times  of  stress  and  trial.  Furthermore,  he  is  a  personal 
friend  to  every  missionary.  51  King  Henry's  Road  is 
well  known  to  many  of  us  by  reason  of  the  charming 
hospitality  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whyte.  He  was  succeeded 
in  business  by  his  son,  Mr.  Robt.  Whyte,  Jr.,  who  has 
continued  to  show  the  same  fine  courtesies  and  splendid 
qualities  of  his  eminent  father. 

In  the  providence  of  God  Mr.  Whyte  placed  himself 
and  his  firm  at  their  disposal  offering  to  buy,  pack  and 
ship  their  supplies  at  a  nominal  cost.  For  thirty  years 
this  firm  has  served  us  with  singular  disinterestedness 
and  unselfish  devotion.  It  has  played  a  most  important 
part  in  the  success  of  our  work.  We  gladly  render 
thanks  not  only  to  the  heads  of  the  firm  but  to  the  em- 


FOLLOWING    GOD  21 

ployees  as  well,  for  even  down  to  the  humblest  man  in 
the  packing  department  they  have  displayed  the  greatest 
personal  interest  in  this  missionary  enterprise.  We  ex- 
press special  appreciation  for  the  faithful  services  of  Mr. 
A.  Pawsey  and  Mr.  H.  G.  Campion,  who  have  had  per- 
sonal direction  of  our  business. 

IN  THE  LOWER  CONGO. 

The  Congo  Cataracts. — Sailing  from  Rotterdam  April 
18,  1890,  on  a  Dutch  trading  vessel,  our  pioneers  arrived 
on  May  9th,  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  Congo  River, 
which  still  remains  the  only  means  of  access  to,  or  exit 
from,  the  Colony  on  the  West  Coast.  The  total  length 
of  this  prince  of  waters  is  fully  three  thousand  miles. 
With  its  many  tributaries,  it  has  six  thousand  miles  of 
navigable  water-ways.  It  is  second  in  size  only  to  the 
Amazon.  For  one  hundred  miles  ocean  liners  may  wind 
their  way,  through  charted  channels,  up  this  wonderful 
river.  But,  at  Matadi,  navigation  abruptly  ceases  at  the 
foot  of  the  cataract  region  which  extends  two  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  to  Stanley  Pool.  Today,  due  to  Bel- 
gian enterprise  and  fine  engineering  skill,  a  narrow  gauge 
railway  pilots  one  in  two  days  over  the  Crystal  Moun- 
tains to  the  waiting  steamers  at  Stanley  Pool  by  means 
of  which  the  whole  of  the  Belgian  Congo,  nine  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  is  open  to  the  world. 

Necessity  for  Transport  Bases. — In  the  early  days 
"traffic  had  to  follow  the  road,  which  clambered  over  a 
succession  of  steep  hills  that  lay  at  right  angles  to  the 
line  of  progress.  It  was  difficult  to  obtain  porters.  The 
toilsome  march,  the  exacting  climate,  the  conditions  of 
life,  so  different  to  those  of  temperate  Europe,  cut  off 
many  lives  in  the  flush  of  health  and  vigor." — Du  Plessis. 
By  1890  sixty  thousand  seventy-pound  loads  were  being 
carried  yearly  on  the  heads  of  natives  around  the  cata- 


22      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

racts  for  the  support  of  missions,  trading  companies  and 
State  posts  on  the  Upper  Congo.  Lukungu  was  the 
midway  point,  and  here  all  loads  were  transferred  to  cara- 
vans from  the  Pool.  It  became  necessary  to  establish 
three  transport  centers  in  the  Lower  Congo.  By  1898 
the  railway  had  eliminated  Lukungu,  but  Matadi  and 
Leopoldville  remain. 

Christian  Comity. — So,  a  common  entrance  and  com- 
mon transport  bases  produced  a  spirit  of  Christian  com- 
ity among  missionary  societies  earlier,  perhaps,  in  the 
Congo  than  in  other  fields.  For  twenty-five  years  our 
transport  work  in  the  Lower  Congo  was  handled  by 
different  societies,  thus  releasing  workers  who  could  have 
been  ill  spared  from  Luebo.  Until  recent  years,  the 
Swedish  Missionary  Society  and  the  American  Baptist 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  have  served  us  at  Matadi. 
At  Lukungu  and  Leopoldville,  the  Congo  Balolo  Mission 
acted  for  us.  Many  kind  deeds  have  been  performed  by 
the  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  the  Chris- 
tian and  Missionary  Alliance.  We  have  been  hospitably 
received  in  their  homes.  They  have  ministered  to  us  in 
times  of  need,  have  nursed  us  through  days  of  illness, 
and  have  buried  our  dead.  We  can  never  pay  the  debt 
of  gratitude  we  owe  them,  but  we  praise  God  for  the 
providence  that  gave  us  such  friends.  The  latter  years 
have  brought  modern  hotels  and  capable  business  houses 
so  that  we  have  been  able  to  relieve  our  friends  of  the 
exacting  burdens  they  have  long  borne  for  us. 

In  the  Congo  the  various  Protestant  bodies  work 
together  in  the  most  complete  harmony.  The  English 
Baptists  and  the  American  Baptists  have,  at  Kimpese, 
on  the  Matadi  railway,  a  union  training  school  for  native 
evangelists  and  pastors.  There  is  a  union  paper  called 
"The  Congo  Mission  News,"  published  quarterly  on  the 
English  Baptist  printing  press  at  Bolobo.  This  is  the 
organ  of  the  General  Conference  of  Protestant  Mission- 


FOLLOWING    GOD  23 

aries  in  the  Congo.  This  Conference  is  held  biennially 
the  seventh  session  having  been  convened  at  Luebo  in 
1918.  Problems  affecting  the  different  societies  are  fully- 
discussed.  During  the  interim  a  Continuation  Commit- 
tee, which  is  in  constant  touch  with  the  Continuation 
Committee  of  Edinburgh,  acts  for  the  Conference.  In 
the  Kasai  basin,  as  will  be  seen  in  subsequent  chapters, 
the  Congo  Inland  Mission,  the  Westcott  Mission,  the 
Southern  Methodist  Mission,  and  the  Presbyterian  Mis- 
sion co-operate  in  complete  accord.  The  Luebo  printing 
press,  at  present,  does  work  for  the  Methodist  and  the 
Mennonites. 

SEARCHING  FOR  A  FIELD 

The  instructions  given  to  Lapsley  and  Sheppard  were 
sane  as  well  as  broad.  They  were  "to  ascertain  the  most 
eligible  site  for  a  new  Mission  station  in  West  Central 
Africa."  While  they  were  not  limited  to  the  Congo 
Free  State,  some  preference  for  it  was  indicated.  Having 
entered  the  Congo,  they  were  faced  with  the  problem 
of  determining  which  direction  they  should  turn. 

Lower  Congo  Pre-empted. — Owing  to  the  inaccessi- 
bility of  the  interior  prior  to  1898,  the  majority  of  mis- 
sionary societies  followed  the  line  of  least  resistance  in 
settling  in  the  region  of  the  lower  river.  This  field  was 
entirely  occupied. 

Alternatives. — The  railway  and  river  were  facts  which 
demanded  that  the  country  be  evangelized  along  the 
rivers,  which  were  being  opened  for  commercial  and 
political  purposes.  Two  alternatives  were  before  them. 
They  might  ascend  the  upper  river  on  its  largest  tribu- 
tary, the  Kasai. 

Upper  Congo  Pre-empted. — There  were  some  invit- 
ing fields  up  the  main  river,  but  already  several  societies 
had  turned  their  eyes  in  that  direction.     The  English 


24      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Baptist  Missionary  Society  was  well  established  at  Bo- 
lobo  and  Lukolela,  and  aimed  at  a  series  of  stations 
which  should  link  up  eventually  with  the  work  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  in  Uganda,  and  of  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Tangan- 
yika. The  American  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  So- 
ciety had  penetrated  as  far  as  Bolenge,  which  was  sub- 
sequently transferred  to  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo 
Mission.  The  Congo  Balolo  Mission  had  chosen  for  its 
field  the  district  lying  in  the  basin  of  the  Lulonga  and 
Lopori  rivers. 

The  Kasai  Open. — Hence,  by  divine  appointment,  the 
only  open  door  seemed  to  be  along  the  waterways  of  the 
Kasai  system  and  through  it  Lapsley  and  Sheppard  de- 
termined to  enter. 

"The  Kasai  takes  its  rise  far  in  the  south,  where 
Belgian  Congo,  Portuguese  Angola,  and  British  Rhodesia 
meet ;  it  gathers  into  one  the  countless  streams  that  flow 
from  the  watershed  of  the  south,  from  the  mountains  of 
the  west,  and  from  the  plains  and  marshes  of  the  central 
regions  of  Congoland,  and,  reinforced  by  the  Sankuru 
(also  called  Lubilash),  the  Fini,  which  drains  Lake  Leo- 
pold, and  the  Kwango-Kwilu  waters,  joins  the  Congo 
with  a  flood  that  is  little  less  in  bulk  than  that  of  the  chief 
stream."  With  its  tributaries  it  affords  some  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles  of  navigable  waters. 

First  Exploration. — Their  plan  was  to  make  a  trip 
by  the  new  State  road  from  Leopoldville  to  Kingushi, 
on  the  Kwango  river,  to  push  as  far  as  they  could  on 
the  other  side  and  descend  in  canoes  by  the  Kasai  and 
Congo.  The  partial  indefiniteness  of  this  plan  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  interior  of  this  district  was  but  little 
known.  It  would  have  been  unwise  to  locate  on  its 
edge  without  more  definite  knowledge  and  equally  so  to 
have  passed  by  this,  the  first  unoccupied  territory  and 


FOLLOWING   GOD  2$ 

the  base  of  the  great  Kasai  system,  which  was  untouched 
by  Protestant  Missions. 

Bolobo. — Accordingly,  while  Sheppard  sought  porters 
at  the  Pool,  Lapsley  took  advantage  of  the  kind  offer 
of  the  American  Baptist  Mission  to  convey  him  in  the 
Henry  Reed  as  far  as  Bolobo  to  consult  with  the  veteran 
missionary  explorer,  Rev.  Geo.  Grenfell,  who,  in  1886, 
had  explored  the  Kwango  as  far  as  Kingushi  Rapids,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  mouth.  He  secured 
much  valuable  information  and  a  map  of  the  Kwango. 
Mr.  Grenfell  modestly  suggested  Mushie,  at  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Fini  river  with  the  Kasai,  as  a  base  more 
adaptable  to  future  ends  than  Kingushi.  Later  it  was 
found  that  the  American  Baptists  had  already  applied  for 
land  at  Mushie. 

Caravan  Difficulties. — Returning  to  the  Pool,  Lapsley 
found  Sheppard  with  twenty-five  men.  But  when  the 
next  morning  the  object  of  the  journey  was  disclosed, 
the  men  took  a  panic  and  refused  to  go.  It  being  im- 
possible to  move  in  that  country  without  carriers,  a  trip 
back  down  the  caravan  route  to  hunt  new  men  was  nec- 
essary. This  time  Lapsley  set  out,  tramping  from  vil- 
lage to  village,  suffering  disappointment  after  disappoint- 
ment, until  he  had  traversed  half  the  distance  to  Matadi. 
At  the  end  of  five  weeks  he  was  again  in  Leopoldville 
with  the  men  required.  By  this  time  reports  of  the  hos- 
tile character  of  the  natives  in  the  new  district  of  the 
Lunda  and  Kwango  region  had  reached  the  Pool.  It 
was  decided,  therefore,  to  abandon  the  overland  trip  to 
Kingushi  and  to  use  the  men  just  secured  in  going  by 
water  to  the  Kwango. 

By  Canoes. — Two  canoes  were  bought  and  laden  with 
supplies  for  a  two  months'  voyage.  These  were  lashed 
to  the  Henry  Reed  at  the  invitation  of  Captain  Billington, 
who  conveyed  them  as  far  as  Chumbiri,  a  short  distance 


j6    triumphs  of  the  gospel  in  the  Belgian  congo 

aboA  e  the  mouth  of  the  Congo.  Here,  after  a  brief  though 
sharp  spell  of  fever,  Lapsley  wrote,  December  22,  1981 : 
"Now  that  1  am  near  the  point  I  have  been  aiming  at 
-ii  long,  the  junction  of  the  Kwango  with  the  Kasai,  I 
am  dissatisfied,  and  wish  we  were  able  to  strike  further 
up  the  Kasai  at  once.  Though  if  the  other  Protestants, 
or  especially  other  Presbyterians,  could  occupy  the  open 
fields  (so  promising!)  higher  up,  I  should  be  glad  to 
make  the  base  for  them,  and  let  our  own  enlargement 
be  up  the  river  system  that  joins  the  Kasai  at  Kwango 
mouth.  So  you  see  I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two.  God 
only  can  guide  me.  I  have  none  other  to  decide  for  me." 
God  was  guiding  and  was  to  decide  for  them,  as  will  be 
seen,  by  closing  this  entrance  and  opening  a  great  and 
effectual  door  into  the  heart  of  the  upper  Kasai  region. 

River  Perils. — December  23  they  bade  hospitable 
Chumbiri  farewell  and  with  a  crew  of  seventeen  natives 
floated  down  the  Congo  to  Kwamouth.  After  struggling 
sixteen  days  against  the  powerful  current  of  the  Kasai, 
they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Kwango. 

Frequently  along  the  way  they  were  not  permitted 
to  land  at  villages,  the  natives  on  several  occasions  evinc- 
ing open  hostility.  More  than  once  they  were  compelled 
to  paddle  far  into  the  night  until  a  friendly  sandbar  in 
midstream  was  found.  Tropical  storms  burst,  drenching 
them  thoroughly.  Schools  of  hippos  at  times  disputed 
them  passage.  Four  times  Lapsley  was  stricken  with 
deadly  chills  and  scorching  fevers ;  twice  Sheppard  was 
similarly  afflicted.  At  one  time  four  of  the  crew  were 
ill.  More  than  once  the  treacherous  current  swept  them 
upon  rocks  or  beneath  the  low  hanging  trees,  where 
they  were  in  imminent  danger  of  being  capsized. 

Boleke. — Despite  these  hardships,  the  journey  was 
continued  laboriously  for  twelve  days,  first  up  the  Kwan- 
go, then  into  the  Kwilu  river.     At  last,  their  food  ex- 


FOLLOWING   GOD  27 

hausted,  the  crew  sullen  and  finding  no  place  as  promis- 
ing as  that  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kwango,  they  returned 
to  Boleke,  a  villege  of  •  some  six  hundred  inhabitants. 
Here  the  people  seemed  friendly.  A  survey  of  a  tem- 
porary site  was  made  for  a  mission  station — provided 
they  did  not  find  one  afterwards  that  was  better,  for  the 
choice  was  "between  the  good  and  better."  Two  months, 
lacking  ten  days,  from  the  time  of  their  embarking  upon 
this  exploration  they  were  again  in  Leopoldville.  The 
same  trip  is  now  made  by  steamer  in  less  than  a  week. 

THE  SECOND  EXPLORATION 

Before  applying  for  a  grant  of  land  at  Boleke  it  seemed 
wisdom's  part  to  explore  up  the  Kasai  as  far  as  possi- 
ble. "Too,  it  seemed  the  unanimous  verdict  of  mission- 
aries and  State  officers  who  knew  the  Kasai  that  the 
finest  race  of  people  on  the  river  were  those  found  be- 
tween the  Sankuru  and  Lulua  rivers." 

Lapsley's  Vision. — Lapsley  and  Sheppard  did  not 
contemplate  stopping  at  Luebo,  but  at  some  intermediate 
point  along  the  river.  Lapsley  outlines  their  plans  thus, 
"We  are  now  on  the  eve  of  the  most  momentous  depar- 
ture we  have  yet  taken.  Day  after  tomorrow  we  are  to 
start  for  the  Kasai.  We  take  passage  in  the  Florida  to 
Luebo.  There  we  intend  to  buy  the  needed  craft  to  float 
back,  down  to  the  point  which  we  shall  have  chosen 
on  the  way  up,  presumably  near  and  below  the  junction 
of  the  Sankuru  and  the  Kasai,  in  the  nearest  edge  of  the 
great  Bakuba  race.  I  am  disposed  to  think  the  large 
town  in  the  fork  of  the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  will  meet 
our  requirements.  Why  go  so  far?  Why  not  stop  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Kwango  for  instance?  The  only  reason 
is  that,  from  all  we  can  see,  the  finest  and  the  future 
dominant  Kasai  tribes  are  the  allied  Bakuba,  Bashilange 
(Luluas)  and  Baluba,  living  in  and  near  the  ellipse,  and 


FOLLOWING   GOD  20, 

enclosed  by  the  Kasai,  Sankuru,  Lubi  and  Zambezi  di- 
vide." Subsequent  years  have  revealed  the  accuracy  of 
the  statements  and  prophetic  vision  of  Lapsley. 

On  to  Luebo. — On  March  17,  the  journey  of  nine 
hundred  miles  to  Luebo  was  begun.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  half  of  their  supplies,  the  Florida  being 
already  loaded  to  its  capacity  of  fifteen  tons.  A  "lame 
boiler"  and  weak  engine  made  for  slow  progress.  At 
the  entrance  to  the  Kasai  river,  where  the  depth  is  very 
great  and  the  volume  of  water  outpoured  into  the  Congo 
is  an  average  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-one  thousand 
cubic  feet  per  second,  at  a  rate — in  flood  time — of  five  to 
six  miles  per  hour,  the  little  craft  was  swung  round  and 
swept  down  three  times.  It  was  at  this  same  point  some 
years  later  that  our  first  steamer,  the  Samuel  N.  Lapsley, 
suffered  a  worse  fate,  being  capsized  with  the  loss  of  Mr. 
Slaymaker  and  twenty  three  natives. 

Congo  vs.  Kasai  Scenery. — "The  Kasai  scenery  is 
highly  attractive,  and  the  whole  region  through  which 
we  pass  is,  economically  considered,  one  of  the  most 
valuable  in  the  Belgian  Congo.  The  landscape  shows  a 
very  different  aspect  to  that  of  the  main  river.  During 
the  thousand  miles'  voyage  on  the  Congo,  between  Stan- 
leyville and  the  Pool,  one  becomes  weary  of  the  mono- 
tonous views.  You  can  distinguish  no  river  banks,  no 
margin  of  light-green  grass,  no  fringe  of  graceful  papy- 
rus. For  mile  upon  mile  you  gaze  at  nothing  but  a 
stern  barrier  of  dark  and  forbidding  forest,  that  comes 
up  to  the  extreme  edge  of  the  water,  facing  you  with 
silent,  mysterious  threat. 

"On  the  Kasai  the  scene  is  changed.  We  look  with 
delight  upon  a  different  landscape.  Instead  of  the  low- 
ering forest,  the  smiling  hills;  instead  of  the  unbroken 
level  of  tree  tops,  a  diversified  background  of  open  hill- 
side and  wooded  vale ;  instead  of  a  view  intercepted  sum- 


30      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

marily  at  the  river  banks,  a  long  vista  of  undulating 
country,  a  horizon  of  blue  hills,  and  long  fleecy  cloud 
strips  above.  For  a  long  distance  above  Kwamouth  the 
Kasai  flows  between  steep  hills  which  may  rise  to  a 
height  of  five  hundred  feet.  Then  the  channel  broadens 
out ;  sand  banks  become  more  frequent ;  many  schools 
of  hippos  disport  themselves  in  the  waters;  stately  water- 
birds  patrol  the  banks,  huge  lazy  crocodiles  lie  basking 
in  the  sun.  Sometimes  the  river  widens  out  at  its  mar- 
gins into  broad  expanses  like  miniature  lakes,  divided 
from  the  main  current  by  a  narrow  spit  of  firm  sand." — 
Du  Plessis. 

The  Lulua. — As  the  approach  is  made  to  the  junction 
of  the  Sankuru,  the  ground  again  rises  to  hills  of  be- 
tween six  and  seven  hundred  or  even  a  thousand  feet 
with  clefts  in  between.  In  fact,  one  leaves  here  the  area 
of  the  ancient  lake  basis. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  miles  further  the  Lulua  emp- 
ties into  the  Kasai,  which  rolls  to  the  junction  in  six 
streams,  divided  by  five  beautiful  wooded  islands.  Al- 
though the  Lulua  rises  in  the  extreme  south  of  Congo- 
land,  within  a  short  distance  of  the  source  of  the  head 
stream  of  the  main  Zambezi,  it  is  navigable  only  from 
the  mouth  to  Luebo,  a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles. 
During  the  low  water  season,  between  April  and  Sep- 
tember, only  light  draught  vessels  can  successfully  out- 
wit the  numerous  sandbanks.  For  picturesqueness,  how- 
ever, the  scenery  is  incomparable.  The  banks  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  are  heavily  wooded  all  the  way  with 
beautiful  foliaged  trees.  There  are  many  islands  and, 
for  much  of  the  way,  you  steam  in  a  narrow  channel, 
fifty  yards  wide.  Many  sharp  turns  bring  to  view  vistas 
of  enchanting  loveliness. 

The  trip  by  the  Florida  consumed  thirty-one  days  of 
discomfort  and  trial.  The  Lapsley  makes  the  same  jour- 
ney in  twelve  to  fourteen  running  days. 


FOLLOWING    GOD 


31 


IN  SELECTING  LUEBO 

One  year  and  three  weeks  after  sailing  from  New 
York  our  pioneers  had  found  the  object  of  their  quest, 
"the  most  eligible  site  for  a  new  Mission  Station." 


The  place  where  Stanley  met  Livingstone  in  187 1,  about  450 
miles  east  of  Bibangu  Station.  Mrs.  T.  E.  Reeve,  of  the  Meth- 
odist Mission. 


Its  Openness. — In  the  first  place,  it  was  open  to  the 
white  man.  "It  seems  to  have  been  ordered  by  Provi- 
dence that  we  should  come  at  the  very  instant  the  Kasai 
is  being  opened,"  wrote  Lapsley.  The  "Society  An- 
onyme  Beige"  having  completed  and  equipped  their  line 
of  stations  up  the  Congo  to  Stanley  Falls,  were  planning 
that  year  to  open  four  new  stations  on  the  Kasai.  This 
trading  company  was  already  established  at  Luebo.    To 


32      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSTEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

their  two  steamers  they  were  to  add  four  new  ones. 
This  meant  an  open  waterway  and  regular  communica- 
tion between  Leopoldville  and  Luebo. 

Strategic  Value. — Soon  after  arriving  Lapsley  writes, 
"The  rage  with  the  white  men  newly  arrived  at  this  El 
Dorado  is  to  get  some  of  the  rare  knives  and  battle- 
axes"  which  filtered  through  from  the  Bakuba  Kingdom. 
"But  to  us,"  he  continues,  "the  interest  is,  that  it  is  the 
center  of  influence  from  which  the  lines  of  trade  radiate, 
the  point  of  contact,  the  point  of  attack,  on  the  people 
of  a  vast  region." 

Populous. — The  district  lying  in  the  basin  of  the 
Sankuru  and  Kasai  rivers  is  one  of  the  most  densely 
populated  sections  of  all  Belgian  Congo.  Our  responsi- 
bility includes  five  tribes,  with  their  allied  and  subject 
races,  namely,  the  Baluba.  the  Bena  Lulua,  the  Bakuba, 
the  Bakete  and  the  Zappo-zaps.  They  number  scarcely 
less  than  two  million  souls. 

Compact  Area. — The  territory  containing  these  tribes 
may  be  described  as  an  irregular  parallelogram,  some 
four  hundred  miles  in  length  by  two  hundred  miles  in 
width.  Roughly  speaking  it  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  Sankuru  river,  on  the  east  by  a  line  drawn  from 
Lusambo  through  Kabinda  to  Kasongo  Niembo,  on  the 
south  by  the  eighth  degree  of  latitude  and  on  the  west 
by  the  Kasai  river  to  its  junction  with  the  Sankuru. 

In  this  compact  area  we  have  five  stations,  strategic- 
ally placed.  The  average  distance  between  them  is  one 
hundred  miles.  Two  more  stations  will  soon  be  opened; 
then  our  field  will  be  entirely  occupied. 

A  Unified  Language. — We  have  not  only  a  homogene- 
ous people  but  a  common  language  as  well.*     Buluba- 


*  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  language  of  a  people  is 
indicated  by  prefixing  bu  to  the  root  name;  as,  Buluba,  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Baluba;  Bukete,  the  language  of  the  Bakete,  etc. 


FOLLOWING   GOD  33 

Lulua  is  the  mother  tongue  of  the  two  largest  tribes, 
and  is  readily  understood  by  the  other  three  tribes.  This 
unique  condition  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Baluba,  liv- 
ing chiefly  in  the  plain  regions,  were  ravaged  by  the 
war-like  Basonge  and  Zappo-zaps,  who  were  armed  with 
European  guns,  and  who  distributed  the  Baluba  as  slaves 
in  every  direction.  But  this  remarkable  people  held 
tenaciously  to  their  own  tongue,  which  became  quite 
familiar  to  their  captors  and  owners.  In  the  economy  of 
missions,  a  unified  language  is  a  powerful  factor  in  the 
evangelization  of  races.     If  our  pioneers  had  located  at 


Luebo  Campus 

Boleke,  or  in  the  fork  between  the  Loange  and  Kasai, 
or  even  at  the  junction  of  the  Sankuru  and  Kasai,  they 
would  have  been  stranded  among  small  isolated  tribes 
with  separate  and  distinct  languages.  Any  enlargement 
would  have  necessitated  the  study  of  new  dialects,  which 
would  have  made  subsequent  growth  very  slow.  Never 
was  God's  hand  more  plainly  seen  than  in  the  choice  of 
Luebo. 


34      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Healthfulness. — The  upper  Kasai  climate  has  been 
greatly  maligned.  Compared  with  other  sections  of  Af- 
rica one  would  consider  it  almost  a  health  resort.  During 
the  first  fifty  years  of  missionary  life  in  West  and  East 
Africa,  the  mortality  was  fearful.  In  the  Basle  Mission, 
on  the  Gold  Coast,  in  fifty-eight  years  ninety-one  mission- 
aries died.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  lost  fifty- 
three  missionaries  in  the  first  twenty  years.  Of  the 
first  thirty  men  who  came  out  to  one  of  the  Lower  Con- 
go Missions  fifteen  survived  for  less  than  four  years; 
three  died  in  less  than  ten  years;  and  eight  withdrew  in 
consequence  of  ill  health.  At  Yakusu,  an  English  Bap- 
tist Station  on  the  Upper  Congo,  nine  out  of  twenty-five 
missionaries  died  within  fifteen  years. 

On  the  other  hand,  during  thirty  years  there  have 
been  but  seven  adult  deaths  among  our  missionary  force. 
Three  of  these  died  during  the  first  five  years,  two  of 
them  in  the  Lower  Congo.  The  fourth  was  drowned  in 
the  Congo  river  before  he  had  reached  Luebo.  The  fifth 
died  after  four  years  of  service;  the  sixth,  after  ten  years; 
and  the  seventh,  after  twenty  years  of  unremitting  toil, 
during  which  time  he  allowed  himself  but  three  fur- 
loughs. Some  of  our  colored  missionaries  have  remained 
as  long  as  fifteen  years,  and  several  of  the  white  mem- 
bers from  five  to  seven  years,  without  a  change. 

But  experience  has  taught  us  that  three  years  for  the 
first  term  and  four  years  thereafter  are  rules  that  should 
be  strictly  observed,  if  one  is  to  maintain  good  health  and 
efficiency. 

Reasons  contributing  to  the  healthfulness  of  the  Kasai 
district  are:  an  abundance  of  good  food,  a  temperature 
almost  the  same  the  year  round,  averaging  from  79  to 
85  in  the  shade,  cool  nights,  high  altitudes  ranging  from 
thirteen  hundred  to  three  thousand  feet,  few  mosquitoes 
and  pestilent  house  flies,  no  mud,  and  seldom  any  dust. 


FOLLOWING    GOD  35 

It  must,  however,  be  admitted  that  even  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances,  there  are  serious  draw- 
backs to  a  long  continued  residence  in  any  part  of  Cen- 
tral Africa.  First  must  be  mentioned  inexperience  and 
ignorance  of  the  conditions  necessary  for  health.  Some- 
times the  newcomer  will  not  accept  advice  from  the  older 
missionaries.  He  must  learn  for  himself,  often  to  his 
great  sorrow.  Second,  there  are  few  physicians  to  at- 
tend the  sick  in  cases  of  serious  illness.  At  one  time  our 
nearest  physician  was  at  the  Pool,  nearly  a  thousand 
miles  away.  Third,  there  is  the  ceaseless  work,  month 
after  month,  without  any  rest  or  change.  Rest  in  some 
other  place  is  made  impossible,  because  the  modes  of 
travel  are  so  difficult  that  it  is  harder  work  to  travel  than 
it  is  to  work  on  one's  station ;  change  of  climate  is  im- 
possible, for  there  is  no  escape  from  the  enervating  tropi- 
cal climate.  Dull  monotony  and  overwork  are  responsi- 
ble for  many  breakdowns. 

IN  FIERY  TRIALS 

Luebo  in  1891. — On  the  arrival  of  Lapsley  and  Shep- 
pard  the  white  population  of  Luebo,  consisted  of  two 
Belgian  traders,  one  Portuguese  trader,  and  two  State 
officials. 

The  ground,  densely  wooded,  rises  gradually  on  either 
side  of  the  river  for  a  distance  of  about  a  mile.  Fifty 
yards  above  the  beach  the  Lulua  rapids  commence,  while 
two  hundred  yeards  below  the  little  Luebo  river  empties 
into  the  Lulua  on  the  south  side.  The  Luebo  falls  can 
be  easily  heard  some  distance  away. 

The  missionaries  decided  to  locate  on  the  north  side 
near  the  Bakete  town  of  Bena  Kasenga,  about  forty 
minutes  walk  from  the  beach.  Later  a  change  was  made 
to  the  present  site,  which  lies  amid  a  cluster  of  palm 
trees  and  commands  a  splendid  view.  Bena  Kasenga, 
with  a  population  of  about  two  thousand,  was  at  that 


36      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

time  the  largest  village  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Two 
hours  inland  was  another  Bakete  town  much  larger.  A 
sm:il  1  group  of  Baluba,  located  at  the  rapids  acted  as 
fishermen  and  ferrymen. 

The  Bakete. — "The  Bakete  were  apparently  the  orig- 
inal Bantu  race  of  the  Sankuru-Lulua  almost  island,  ex- 
tending, however,  some  of  their  settlements  south  of  the 
Lulua.  They  are  a  dirty,  somewhat  retrograde  people 
who  have  seemingly  degenerated  from  a  state  of  higher 
civilization,  partly  owing  to  the  degree  to  which  they 
have  been  enslaved  by  the  Bakuba  and  Baluba  chief- 
tains."— Johnston.  Today  they  number  probably  thirty- 
five  thousand  and  pay  tribute  to  Lukengu,  king  of  the 
Bakuba.  They  are  slavishly  bound  to  their  customs,  un- 
dependable,  unprogressive  and  extremely  conservative. 
At  that  time  they  made  a  fair  degree  of  rubber,  but  their 
principal  importance  was  that  they  were  middlemen  who 
brought  buyers  and  sellers  together  on  neutral  ground. 
These  tradesmen  were  the  Bakuba  from  the  north  and 
west,  the  Baluba  and  Zappo-zaps  from  the  east,  and  the 
Bena  Lulua  from!  the  south.  Rubber  and  ivory  were  the 
chief  commodities  attracting  the  trade  of  the  white  man, 
but  the  most  flourishing  traffic  among  the  natives  was 
the  slave  trade. 

Housing. — Two  houses,  each  about  ten  feet  square 
inside  and  nine  feet  high  to  the  comb,  were  purchased 
from  the  Bakete  and  carried  in  sections  to  the  temporary 
mission  site  and  there  put  together  again.  All  Bakete 
and  Bakuba  houses  are  constructed  on  the  same  general 
plan.  The  roof  and  the  four  walls  are  each  a  solid  whole, 
consisting  of  a  light  strong  frame  of  horizontal  and  verti- 
cal rods,  on  which  are  tied  layers  of  palm  leaves  sewed 
together  in  mats.  So  it  took  a  few  hours  for  the  houses 
to  leave  the  places  that  once  knew  them  and  to  be  se- 
curely established  on  the  station. 


FOLLOWING   GOD  37 

Ants. — On  several  occasions  our  missionaries  made 
rather  lively  acquaintance  with  the  driver  ants  and  the 
white  ants.  The  former  are  from  a  quarter  to  a  half 
inch  in  length  with  large,  sharp  pinchers.  They  will 
bite,  destroy  and  clean  up  any  animal  matter,  like  grease 
or  oil,  as  the  locusts  wipe  up  the  grass.  If  they  once 
succeed  in  making  an  entrance  to  your  house,  you  must 
vacate  until  they  have  completely  ravaged  everything 
edible  and  obtainable.  On  the  other  hand,  the  white 
ants,  while  not  so  dangerous  to  you  personally,  are  the 
most  destructive  pests  in  Africa.  They  are  omnipresent 
and  will  attack  anything  save  rocks  or  iron.  Eternal 
vigilance  is  the  only  safeguard  from  their  attacks. 

Jiggers. — "The  Jigger,  or  Chigoe,  is  very  much  like 
a  flea  (the  male)  but  smaller;  the  female  insect  burrows 
into  the  feet,  often  the  most  tender  part.  When  it  has 
made  its  way  below  the  epidermis,  it  swells  until  its  eggs 
have  become  mature,  often  as  large  as  a  pea;  then  it 
bursts  and  the  little  white  eggs  fall  to  the  ground  to 
commence  a  new  cycle.  Its  home  is  South  America, 
more  especially  Brazil.  A  vessel  arrived  at  Ambriz, 
1872,  in  ballast  from  Brazil.  Some  of  the  sand  was  car- 
ried on  shore  and  then  began  the  pest  in  Africa.  In 
1879  they  had  reached  the  Cameroons — and  then  they 
spread.  To  be  'jiggered'  is  no  trifling  matter." — Bent- 
ley.  A  European,  becoming  disabled,  hobbled  to  the 
Luebo  hospital  to  consult  the  physician.  It  required  two 
hours  to  pick  the  jiggers  from  his  feet.  Unless  prompt- 
ly removed,  and  the  wound  disinfected,  serious  trouble 
may  result. 

Language  Work. — Progress  on  the  language  was  ne- 
cessarily slow.  Lapsley  writes  to  his  brother:  "After  a 
long  period  of  aimless  floundering,  I  have  got  started  on 
the  Bakete  language  with  some  three  or  four  hundred 
words,  and  an  idea  of  the  structure,  which  is  worth  much 


38      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

more.  But  the  words  most  needed,  'life/  'spirit,'  etc., 
come  hard,  and  Luebo  is  a  hard  place  to  get  a  language, 
because  five  or  six  other  tribes  all  trade  at  Bena  Kasenga, 
and  many  of  the  slaves  that  come  from  the  southwest 
are  bought  by  the  Bakete.  So  how  do  I  know  when  a 
word  is  really  Bakete,  or  only  part  of  the  hash  spoken 
in  trade  at  this  great  market?"  It  was  not  until  some 
years  later  that  all  efforts  to  reduce  to  writing  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Bakete  were  abandoned  in  favor  of  the 
widely  spoken  and  universally  understood  Buluba-Lulua 
language. 

Spying  out  the  land. — From  time  to  time  short  jour- 
neys into  the  interior  were  made.  Sheppard  went  over- 
land to  Wissman  Falls,  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Kasai,  reporting  many  large  and  friendly  villages.  His 
genial  nature  and  tactful  conduct  soon  made  him  a  uni- 
versal favorite  with  the  people.  Lapsley  took  a  trip 
eastward  to  Luluaburg  in  search  of  workmen.  The  Ba- 
kete, while  friendly  and  willing  to  trade  with  the  white 
man,  have  never  shown  a  disposition  to  work  for  him. 
He  secured  the  men  and  visited  the  great  Kalamba,  king 
of  all  the  Bena  Lulua,  and  the  village  of  the  Zappo-zaps. 
He  found  the  intervening  territory  well  populated  and 
the  people  friendly.  These  itineraries  enabled  Lapsley 
to  write  that  their  "estimate  of  Luebo  as  a  center  of  in- 
fluence is  completely  confirmed"  by  what  they  had  seen. 

Lapsley's  Last  Journey. — The  need  for  supplies,  as 
well  as  the  condition  of  his  health,  determined  Lapsley 
to  return  to  Leopoldville,  a  journey  which  the  state  of 
their  transport  arrangements  had  long  suggested  as  de- 
sirable. Repeated  attacks  of  fever,  malarial  and  hema- 
turic,  together  with  the  constant  exposures  and  hard- 
ships to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  had  greatly  im- 
paired his  health. 


FOLLOWING   GOD  39 

While  at  the  Pool  he  received  an  answer  from  the 
Governor-General  refusing  his  application  for  the  land 
at  Luebo,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  already  given  away. 
Since  the  State  officer  at  Luebo  had  declared  the  land 
unclaimed,  Lapsley  felt  that  there  must  be  some  misap- 
prehension on  the  part  of  the  Governor-General.  There 
upon  he  decided  to  go  to  Boma  and  personally  settle  the 
matter  at  once.  Everything  was  arranged  with  the  Gov- 
ernor-General in  the  most  satisfactory  way,  and  Lapsley 
returned  to  the  English  Baptist  Mission  at  Underhill, 
two  miles  below  Matadi.  During  the  night  he  had  a 
slight  fever.  The  next  night  his  fever  rose  again,  and 
hematuria  developed.  Everything  that  kind  hearts  and 
skillful  hands  could  accomplish  was  done  for  him.  The 
hematuria  lasted  for  thirty-six  hours,  but  the  fever  per- 
sisted, and  at  noon  on  Saturday,  March  26,  1892,  he 
passed  away.  His  body  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  little  ceme- 
tery among  the  trees  down  by  the  riverside,  where  sleep 
quite  a  number  who,  like  him,  had  fought  the  good  fight, 
had  kept  the  faith,  and  had  finished  the  course. 

Lapsley  in  dying  did  more  for  the  redemption  of  Af- 
rica than  he  could  have  done  in  living.  When  the  news 
of  his  death  reached  America  a  quiver  passed  through  the 
Church  as  if  an  electric  current  had  been  turned  on.  The 
eyes  of  the  Church  were  focused  on  the  Congo;  an  in- 
terest was  created  which  has  never  abated ;  the  response 
was  quick  and  eager.  For  ten  years,  prior  to  1890,  the 
Committee  had  urgently  called  for  white  volunteers  to 
accompany  Sheppard  to  Africa  and  Lapsley  alone  had 
responded.  In  the  year  of  1892  six  responded  to  the 
call  of  his  death  and  by  1895,  six  others,  a  white  man 
and  five  colored  missionaries,  had  stood  beside  the  grave 
at  Underhill  and  had  pledged  their  service"  to  the  cause 
for  which  he  had  sacrificed  his  young  life. 

His  death  was  a  severe  but  telling  providence. 


40     TKir.MPiis  or  the  gospel  in  the  Belgian  congo 

Re-enforcements. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  G.  Adamson,  of 
Scotland,  bore  the  sad  news  to  the  waiting  Sheppard, 
whose  grief  was  great.  In  the  same  year  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
D.  W.  Snyder  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Rowbotham 
reached  the  field.  Dr.  Sheppard,  who  had  enjoyed  a 
well-merited  furlough,  returned  to  the  field  in  1894  with 
four  colored  missionaries,  Mrs.  Sheppard,  Miss  Maria 
Fearing,  Miss  Lilian  Thomas,  and  Rev.  H.  P.  Hawkins. 
By  this  time  the  Mission  had  become  firmly  established 
and  systematic  work  was  advancing  despite  some  losses. 

Losses. — After  scarcely  two  years  of  service  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Rowbotham  were  compelled  to  relinquish  the 
work.  A  few  months  later  Mrs.  Adamson,  following  a 
severe  case  of  hematuria,  was  called  to  her  reward.  Mr. 
Adamson  gave  up  the  work,  going  to  America  to  live. 
These  losses  left  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  the  sole  occupants 
of  Luebo,  but  in  a  few  months  Dr.  Sheppard  and  his 
party  arrived. 

THE  SPIRIT  GUIDING 

The  first  four  years  were  the  years  of  seed  sowing 
and  no  converts  are  recorded.  The  Bakete  evinced  little 
interest  in  the  gospel  message,  while  special  efforts 
among  the  children  produced  discouraging  results.  Per- 
sistent attempts  were  made  to  reach  the  stony  hearts  of 
the  Bakuba,  but  here,  too,  they  met  with  apparent  fail- 
ure. Boleke,  for  which  application  had  long  been  made, 
was  refused  by  the  government,  thus  destroying  the 
hope  Lapsley  and  Sheppard  had  entertained  for  a  chain 
of  stations  along  the  Kasai. 

In  all  of  these  seeming  failures  God,  in  His  wise 
providence,  was  evolving  a  plan  by  which  the  labors  of 
a  few  years  should  be  crowned  with  most  marvelous 
success.  He  closed  the  entrance  to  the  Kwango  valley 
because  this  was  to  become  in  after  years  the  natural 


FOLLOWING   GOD  4I 

sphere  for  the  expanding  influence  of  the  American  Bap- 
tists. He  kept  the  doors  to  the  Bakete  and  the  Bakuba 
tightly  barred  because  He  had  prepared  the  hearts  of 
two  larger  tribes  for  the  gospel,  who,  when  the  fulness 
of  time  was  come,  should  almost  rush  into  the  Kingdom. 
The  first  two  missionaries  were  led  a  thousand  miles 
into  the  interior,  passing  by  other  tribes,  to  these  two 
prepared  tribes,  the  Baluba  and  the  Bena  Lulua.  And, 
through  the  succeeding  years  the  same  guiding,  control- 
ling, blessed  Spirit  has  made  manifest  His  presence  and 
His  power.  "Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  said  the  Lord  of  hosts." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Naming  tf)e  people 

(1895-1905) 


CHAPTER  II. 

gaining  tfje  people 


i.     Human    Kindness. 

(i)  The  Handshake. 

(2)  Ransoming    Slaves. 

(3)  "Palavers." 

2.  Oral   Teaching. 

3.  The  Printed  Page. 

(1)  Reducing   the    Language. 

(2)  Dr.  W.  M.  Morrison. 

(3)  Rev.  T.  C.  Vinson. 

4.  Boys   Inside   the  "Fences." 

(1)  Government    Policy. 

(2)  Homes    for   Boys. 

(3)  Fruitage. 

5.  "Pantops"  Home. 

(1)  Condition  of  Women. 

(2)  A    Contrast. 

(3)  Miss   Maria   Fearing. 

6.  Educational   Work. 

(1)  The  Day  School. 

(2)  Sabbath    Schools. 

(3)  Training   Schools    for    Evangelists. 

(4)  Industrial  Schools. 

7.  "The   Steamer   of   God." 

(1)  The   Link   with    Civilization. 

(2)  An  Evangelizing  Agency. 

(3)  River    Out-Stations. 

8.  Medical    Work. 

(1)  Diseases. 

(2)  Superstitions. 

(3)  Opening   Doors. 

9.  Ibanche    (1897). 

(1)  A    Closed   Door. 

(2)  Ibanche  Opened. 

(3)  Abandoned. 

10.  Burning  Zeal. 

(1)  Remarkable    Growth. 

(2)  Zeal  of  Missionaries. 

(3)  Zeal  of  Natives. 


CHAPTER  II. 

training  ttjc  People 
(1895-1905) 

"There  is  not  an  existing  race  of  men  in  Africa  that 
is  not  emphatically  human  and  capable  of  improvement." 
— Johnston. 

HUMAN  KINDNESS. 

The  Kasai  native  is  intensely  human.  He  feels, 
thinks,  loves,  acts  very  much  as  the  rest  of  mankind. 
He  responds  eagerly  to  kind  treatment.  He  was  quick 
to  see  the  difference  between  the  missionary  and  other 
white  men,  who  came  for  conquest  or  for  personal  gain. 
The  missionary  came  seeking  neither  his  land  nor  his 
treasure,  but  his  heart.  He  brought  a  wealth  of  sym- 
pathy, love  and  understanding.  Yet  the  suspicions  of 
the  natives  were  not  laid  aside  all  at  once.  In  this  chap- 
ter we  try  to  show  how  their  suspicions  were  overcome 
and  confidence  was  gained. 

The  Handshake. — Handshaking  was  not  a  universal 
practice  before  the  advent  of  the  missionary,  although 
it  was  characteristic  of  some  tribes.  Certain  missionaries 
prefer  to  follow  the  native  custom  of  clapping  the  hands 
when  exchanging  greetings,  but  a  hearty  handclasp 
breaks  through  prejudice  and  establishes  a  basis  of  mu- 
tual understanding  more  quickly  than  anything  else.  The 
new  missionary  may  resent  at  first  the  press  of  the 
throngs  and  the  damage  to  his  once  spotless  linen.  But 
he  soon  overcomes  the  annoyance,  forgets  the  filth,  and 
delights  in  the  pleasure  his  kindly  act  has  brought.  It 
was  the  Saviour's  touch  that  thrilled  the  leper's  soul, 
filling  his  heart  with  undying  gratitude.     And   so   the 


46      TRIUMPHS    OF    Till     GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

friendly  handshake  lias  quickened  feelings  of  love  and 
trust  in  the  heart  of  many  a  Congolese,  preparing  an 
entrance  for  the  word  of  truth. 

Ransoming  Slaves. — The  story  of  the  slave  trade  in 
Africa  is  well  known  to  the  student  of  history.  The  en- 
tire region  around  Luebo  has  been  for  generations  a  cen- 
ter for  this  traffic.  For  years  the  Congo  Free  State  gave 
its  tacit,  if  not  its  open,  consent  to  the  iniquitous  traffic 
in  human  life  carried  on  by  Portuguese  half-castes  and 
powerful  native  chiefs  like  Zappo-zap  at  Luluaburg,  and 
Pania  Mutombo  near  Lusambo.  There  was  a  provision 
whereby  whites  might  ransom  slaves,  who  then  came 
under  the  control,  or  "guardianship,"  of  the  ransomer 
for  seven  years;  after  this  the  slave  was  at  liberty. 

Liberes. — These  Liberes  (freedmen)  had  to  be  regis- 
tered as  such  before  the  State  official.  Perhaps  this  was 
intended  as  an  ameliorative  measure,  but  later  it  had  to 
be  abolished  because  of  its  abuse,  even  by  the  Govern- 
ment, which  used  the  unfortunate  creatures  as  soldiers, 
laborers,  porters  and  servants.  Cur  early  missionaries 
took  advantage  of  this  provision  not  only  to  ransom 
many  slaves,  but  to  give  them  their  freedom  at  once. 
They  recognized  that  holding  them  for  the  legal  period 
of  seven  years  was  merely  a  prolongation  of  forcible 
servitude. 

Fixed  Price  Redemption  Law. — Some  years  later  our 
Mission  obtained  for  the  Luebo  district  a  law  known  as 
the  Fixed  Price  Redemption  Law.  The  price  was  first 
fixed  at  eight  pieces  of  cloth,  valued  at  about  eight  dol- 
lars, which  was  below  the  market  value  of  a  slave.  So 
numerous  were  the  demands  for  redemption  that  the 
State  official  soon  found  himself  in  difficulty  and  doubled 
the  price,  which  was  much  above  the  market  value. 
Still  the  people  flocked  to  the  Mission  and  to  the  State 
to  be  redeemed.    Seeing  the  danger  to  his  lucrative  trade, 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE 


47 


Zappo-zap  complained  and  the  law  was  annulled.  The 
Mission  appealed  to  the  Governor-General  for  a  reissue 
of  this  law,  which  had  proved  so  practical  and  beneficial 
in  its  workings.  He  replied  that,  as  slavery  did  not 
legally  exist  in  the  Congo,  certificates  of  freedom  from 
slavery  would  obviously  be  illegal  and  therefore  he  re- 
fused to  grant  any  remedial  legislation.  Domestic  slav- 
ery, with  all  its  harrowing  details,  still  exists  in  the 
Kasai. 


Brick   Yards   at   Luebo 


Reason  for  Luebo's  Growth. — It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  the  growth  in  the  native  population  at  Luebo  has 
been  largely  due  to  the  sympathetic  attitude  of  our 
Mission  towards  the  slaves.  Two-thirds  of  its  inhabi- 
tants, or  something  like  twelve  thousand,  either  have 
been,  or  still  are,  slaves.  Moreover,  these  are  not  fugi- 
tive slaves,  for  we  have  never  taken  one  such  from  his 
master,  nor  taught  that  he  should  leave  his  owner  until 
he  had  redeemed  himself.  Many  liberes  returning  from 
their  servitude  in  the  Lower  Congo,  or  elsewhere,  found 
that  the  missionary  loved  them,  and  they  settled  where 
kindness  and  protection  were  to  be  had. 


48      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Kasongo  Paul. — One  of  these  redeemed  slaves,  now 
an  honored  elder  of  the  Luebo  Church,  is  Kasongo  Paul. 
Back  in  the  nineties,  just  as  day  was  breaking  over  the 
great  plain  that  stretches  along  the  Lubilash  river,  some 
three  hundred  miles  east  of  Luebo,  a  raiding  party  of 
Basonge  cannibals  suddenly  surrounded  an  outlying  vil- 
lage of  the  Baluba  chief,  Mutombo  Katshi.  Men,  women 
and  children  were  seized  as  they  darted  from  their  huts. 
Those  who  resisted  were  shot  down,  houses  were  burned, 
and  the  raiders  were  off  with  their  spoil.  Having  been 
sold  and  resold,  the  lad  Kasongo  finally  reached  the 
Luebo  market,  where  he  was  redeemed  by  Rev.  S.  P. 
Verner  and  was  placed  in  the  Mission  Scnool.  In  the 
course  of  time  he  became  a  convert,  then  v.  tcacltr  in 
the  Training  School,  and  finally  an  evangelist  in  the 
village  of  the  Zappo-zaps,  relatives  of  his  Basonage  cap- 
tors. His  dependability,  faithfulness  to  duty,  loyalty  to 
the  Mission,  success  in  winning  the  confidence  of  chil- 
dren, although  childless  himself,  and  his  unfailing  hearty 
good  humor,  are  some  of  the  characteristics  thai  have 
placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  native  leadership.  As  a 
deacon,  he  served  with  conspicuous  ability.  Six  years 
ago  he  was  elected  to  the  eldership  and  today  is  one 
of  the  outstanding  men  of  the  Luebo  session.  His  wife 
Mponga  is  a  consistant  Christian  worker,  a  leader  in 
the  local  Woman's  Auxiliary.  Their  domestic  life  has 
been  described  as  approaching  very  near  to  the  ideal 
Christian  home. 

.  J  "Palavers." — The  three  words  the  new  missionary 
first  masters  are  bualu,  "palaver;"  nsala,  "hunger" ;  and 
cianana,  "nothing  or  zvorthless."  Bualu  is  easily  first  in 
importance.  Every  circumstance  of  the  native's  life — 
food,  sleep,  a  jour.ney,  speech,  birth,  marriage,  sickness, 
religion  and  death — is  a  palaver.  Even  a  stomach  ache 
is  a  "palaver  of  the  insides."  All  day  a  group  of  men 
sat   "talking  a  palaver."     At  sundown   the    missionary 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  49 

lightly  inquired,  "What!  Have  you  not  finished?"  The 
smiling  answer  came,  "Do  palavers  ever  cease?" 

This  characteristic  trait  of  mind  has  been  wonder- 
fully used  for  the  spreading  of  the  gospel  message.  The 
"palaver  of  God"  has  become  the  burning  topic  of  con- 
versation in  countless  villages.  The  native  cannot  help 
making  a  palaver  of  it.     He  must  talk  about  it. 

Palaver  Sheds. — Quickly  our  early  missionaries 
seized  the  opportunity  of  gaining  the  good  will  of  the 
natives  by  lending  a  sympathetic  ear  to  their  numerous 
affairs.  For  many  years  each  Mission  Station  has  had 
its  palaver  shed  with  a  missionary  in  charge  who  devoted 
from  one  to  six  hours  daily  "hearing  palavers."  Now 
the  greater  part  of  this  important  Mission  work  is  con- 
ducted by  competent  elders,  who  appeal  to  the  mission- 
ary only  as  a  last  resort. 

Rev.  Motte  Martin. — In  this  respect  the  work  of  Rev. 
Motte  Martin  is  unique.  The  palaver  shed  in  his  back- 
yard has  become  famous.  The  influence  he  wields  is 
enormous.  For  hundreds  of  miles  the  natives  come  to 
seek  his  advice,  and  act  upon  it.  He  gives  himself  to 
them  without  stint,  exercising  infinite  patience  and  tact 
in  dealing  with  them.  The  years  of  intimacy  with  the 
palaver  shed  have  brought  to  him  a  knowledge  of  the 
native  mind,  language,  customs,  proverbs  and  folk  lore 
unequalled  by  any  other  white  man  in  the  Kasai.  He 
makes  daily  use  of  this  knowledge  to  press  home  im- 
portant lessons.  On  a  recent  tour  among  seventy-one 
outstations  Mr.  Martin  received  into  the  Church  seven 
hundred  and  eighty-six  converts,  settled  blood-feuds  in 
twenty  villages,  and  secured  strong  native  legislation 
against  the  evils  of  laziness,  debts,  "medicines,"  child 
marriage  and  other  forms  of  slavery. 

Oral  Teaching. — As  in  the  days  of  the  early  Church, 
before  the  Gospels  were  written,  the  Christian  religion 
spread  through  the  means  of  the  oral  testimony  of  its 


Rev.  W.  M.  Morrison,  D.  D. 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  5 1 

converts,  so  it  has  been  in  the  Kasai.  During  the  first 
years  we  were  compelled  to  rely  upon  this  form  of  in- 
struction alone.  It  was  several  years  before  a  primer 
was  in  use  and  eight  years  before  the  first  portion  of 
the  Bible  appeared. 

After  the  language  had  been  reduced  to  writing  and 
text-books  had  become  common,  oral  teaching  continued 
to  maintain  a  large  place  in  the  work  of  evangelization. 
A  large  per  cent  of  the  natives  cannot  read  yet.  Evan- 
gelists and  teachers  possess  catechisms,  Bibles  and  hymn 
books,  but  the  masses  are  still  dependent  upon  the 
spoken  word.  Our  small  printing  press  has  never  been 
able  to  keep  up  with  the  demand  for  literature.  The  in- 
struction of  catechumens,  the  daily  evangelistic  services, 
and  the  Sunday  School  lessons  are  given  orally.  Oral 
teaching  plays  an  important  part  in  gaining  the  natives. 

The  Printed  Page. — Souls  may  be  won  by  means  of 
oral  testimony,  but  no  permanent  progress  can  be  made 
by  the  native  Church  until  its  members  can  read  and 
study  the  word  of  God. 

Reducing  the  Language. — In  the  early  days  before 
translation  work  could  be  done  the  language  had  to  be 
reduced  to  writing.  Rev.  S.  N.  Lapsley  was  cut  off  ere 
he  had  made  much  progress  in  this  line.  Rev.  D.  W. 
Snyder  did  considerable  work  on  the  Bukete  dialect,  get- 
ting out  a  primer  and  translating  several  hymns.  How- 
ever, the  real  constructive  work  on  the  language  began 
in  1896,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Morri- 
son, D.  D.,  who  was  destined  to  attain  front  rank  among 
African  translators  and  missionary  statesmen.  His  great 
mind  quickly  grasped  the  unusual  linguistic  situation  at 
Luebo.  The  missionaries  had  been  struggling  with  the 
peculiar  jargon  of  several  tribes,  a  mixture  of  Bukete 
and  the  common  trade  language.  Moreover,  he  saw  that 
the  Bakete  were  indifferent  and  unresponsive,  whereas 
the  girls  in  the  Home,  the  workmen,  the  inquirers,  and 


i/ 


5-'      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPFX    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

converts  were  from  the  Baluba  and  Lulua  tribes.  Baluba 
slaves  and  liberes  wen-  settling  around  them  by  the  hun- 
dreds. Why  lose  time  reducing  a  language  whose  people 
were  not  prepared  to  receive  the  gospel,  when  here  was 
another  great  race  eager  for  it?  His  wise  counsel  pre- 
vailed and  the  Mission  set  him  apart  to  reduce  the  Bu- 
luba-Lulua  language  to  writing. 

Dr.  Morrison's  Translations. — By  1906  Dr.  Morrison 
had  published  a  Dictionary  and  Grammar,  a  colossal 
work  containing  417  pages,  the  Parables  of  our  Saviour 
told  in  paraphrase,  the  Miracles  in  paraphrase,  the  Epis- 
tles to  the  Romans  and  First  Corinthians  subdivided 
.  into  simple  sections  and  also  in  paraphrase,  and  a  Cate- 

Ichisrn  based  on  the  Shorter  and  Child's  Catechisms  and 
1  the  Free  Church  Catechism  of  England.  The  lateT)r. 
H.^Grattan  Guinness,  of  London,  said  that  this  Cate- 
chism, with  its  epitome  of  doctrine  and  life,  constitutes 
y/  J  one  of  the  most  striking  features  of  our  work.  It  is 
taken  as  the  basis  for  instruction  of  all  inquirers  and  is 
widely  committed  to  memory  by  the  children  and  all 
who  have  any  connection  with  our  Mission.  In  1913  he 
published  a  book  of  532  pages,  entitled,  "Lessons  from 
w-  the  Whole_^ible.''  It  contained  150  selected  passages 
translated  literally.  Interspersed  between  these  passages 
are  paraphrased  statements  of  the  intervening  history. 
It  is  thus  a  complete  Story  of  the  Bible.  Just  before  his 
death  in  March,  1918,  he  had  completed  the  literal  trans- 
lation of  the  four  Gospels  and  the  Book  of  Acts.  This 
book  is  now  appearing  from  the  press  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society.  He  also  translated  numerous 
leaflets,  school  books  and  hymns.  Of  the  125  choice 
hyrrtns  in  our  Hymnal,  Dr.  Morrison  translated  fifty. 

Rev.  T.  C.  Vinson. — In  1916  the  Mission  appointed 
Rev.  T.  C.  Vinson  to  assist  with  the  translation  work. 
He  began  with  the  Old  Testament  and  had  completed 
the  first  six  books  before  Dr.  Morrison's  death,  when  he 


y 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  53 

was  transferred  to  the  New  Testament  to  carry  on  the 
latter's  work.  The  entire  New  Testament  is  now  being 
published. 

Others. — Mention  must  also  be  made  of  the  following 
translations:  The  Gospel  of  Mark,  by  Rev.  J.  McC.  Sieg; 
a  Physiology,  by  Mrs.  C.  L.  Crane  and  Dr.  L.  J.  Cop- 
pedge;  an  Arithmetic  and  several  Readers,  by  Rev.  C.  L. 
Crane;  the  Parables  of  Christ  and  several  Readers  in  the 
Bukuba  language,  by  Mrs.  A.  L.  Edmiston,  a  talented 
colored  missionary.  She  has  compiled  a  Dictionary  and 
Grammar  of  the  Bukuba  dialect,  but  it  has  not  yet  been 
published.  Rev.  C.  T.  Wharton  has  also  done  good  work 
on  the  Bukuba  tongue,  and  has  translated  the  Catechism  J-" 
and  the  Apostles's  Creed. 

In  spite  of  this  progress  we  are  far  behind  in  this 
field.  We  have  no  Christian  literature  except  portions 
of  the  Bible.  This  is  a  sphere  of  wonderful  opportunity 
for  some  talented  educational  man. 

BOYS  INSIDE  THE  "FENCE" 

Government  Policy. — A  "fence"  in  African  parlance  yS 
means  the  missionary's  compound  or  yard.  In  the  early 
years  of  the  Mission  it  was  a  daily  occurrence  to  see 
little  children  in  the  hands  of  cruel  traders  being  sold 
into  permanent  slavery  for  one,  two  and  three  dozen 
bandannas  a  head.  It  is  with  deep  regret  that  we  feel 
compelled  to  say  that,  almost  from  the  beginning  of  its 
history,  the  Congo  Free  State  had  directly  or  indirectly  ^ 
encouraged  slave  raiding.  The  strong  men  and  women 
thus  caught  were  forced  into  labor  service  for  the  Gov- 
ernment. The  children  were  either  turned  over  en  masse 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  Missions,  or  left  in  the  hands  of 
the  raiders  as  spoil  to  be  sold.  A  few  of  these  slave 
children  were  placed  with  us  to  train  and  educate,  but 
soon  this  ceased  on  account  of  our  bitter  disapproval  of 


54      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 


Type  of  village  boys  who  enter  the  "Fence.' 
Left  to  die.    A  sleeping  sickness  patient. 


the  policy  of  the  Government.  Many  children  were  re- 
deemed by  the  missionaries,  the  girls  entering  Pantogs 
Home,  and  the  boys  "sitting  inside  the  fences." 

Homes  for  Boys. — Thus  each  individual  missionary 
"fence"  became  a  home  for  boys.  The  advantages  these 
boys  secured  were  so  marked  that  before  long  the  appli- 
cations for  admittance  could  not  be  met.  On  itineraries 
the  missionaries  would  be  literally  beset  with  eager  little 
applicants.  Parents  came  long  distances  pleading  for  the 
acceptance  of  their  children.    Small  boys  seven  and  eight 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  55 

years  of  age  have  walked  a  hundred  miles  and,  appearing 
before  the  missionary,  dust  covered  and  travel  worn, 
have  declared  resolutely,  "We  have  come  to  stay !  We 
won't  go  back  home,  we  won't!"  With  such  a  spirit 
prevailing  we  might  have  accepted  many  hundreds  each 
year.  Lack  of  missionary  force  and  equipment  conn- 
pelled  us  to  limit  the  choice  to  "strategic"  children,  such 
as  the  sons  of  prominent  chiefs  or  those  of  marked  ability 
and  promise.  In  191 1  there  were  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  select  boys  in  the  "fences."  Among  them 
were  princes  and  future  rulers,  the  sons  of  Lukengu, 
Kalamba  and  Zappo-zap,  the  three  dominant  chiefs  of 
the  Kasai. 

Fruitage. — Doubtless  more  than  a  thousand  bright 
lads  have  spent  from  one  to  ten  years  under  the  personal 
tutelage  of  the  missionaries.  Many  of  them  have  grown 
to  manhood.  It  is  not  surprising  to  find  them  leaders  in 
all  departments.  Mandungu  is  the  head  printer;  Kay- 
imbi,  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Mission  Store;  Mud- 
imbi  was  for  years  the  chief  elder  of  Luebo,  but  has  now 
been  transferred  to  the  Methodist  Mission  at  Wembo 
Niama.  Scores  have  become  evangelists.  Many  have 
returned  to  their  people  bearing  the  printed  tidings  of 
their  Redeemer.  Who  can  measure  the  influence  of  these 
boys  in  opening  doors  that  had  long  been  barred  against 
us? 

PANTOPS  HOME  FOR  GIRLS 

The  slave  girls  were  placed  in  the  Pantops  Home. 
It  was  first  intended  as  an  orphan  asylum  for  these 
motherless  little  ones.  As  the  years  passed  and  these 
ex-slaves  developed  into  splendid  young  womanhood, 
the  selective  principle  had  to  be  applied  for  the  girls  as 
for  the  boys.  Scores  of  applicants  are  constantly  turned 
away. 


56      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 


Above — Heathen  Women 
Below — Christian  Women 


The  Condition  of  Women. — To  appreciate  fully  the 
meaning  of  this  home  one  must  understand  something 
of  the  conditions  of  the  Kasai  women.  While  there  is 
no  abominable  system  of  confinement  as  in  the  Orient, 
yet  there  are  many  cruel  customs  that  make  her  exist- 
ence almost  intolerable.  Most  of  them  center  around  the 
marriage  relation.  Here  are  some  of  the  problems  con- 
fronting work  among  women  :  Impure  heathen  practices 
of  young  girls,  dulling  their  minds  and  consciences  to 
a  horrible  degree ;  most  corrupt  marriage  laws ;  slavery 
still  practiced  and  legalized  under  the  guise  of  polygamy, 


Gaining  the  people  57 

which,  though  discouraged,  is  not  forbidden;  the  laws  of 
inheritance  by  which  a  heathen  son  may  inherit  a  Chris- 
tian father's  wife,  a  brother  a  brother's  wife,  and  have 
full  power  to  enforce  a  polygamous  marriage  although 
the  woman  may  be  a  Christian  and  violently  opposed  to 
such  a  union;  child  marriages;  and  lastly,  girls  bought 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  in  money  to  their  owners 
through  lives  of  immorality.  Connected  with  these  re- 
volting customs  are  the  most  degrading  superstitions. 
It  is  not  strange  that  women  cling  to  their  superstitions 
and  heathen  "medicines"  with  a  far  greater  tenacity  than 
do  the  men.  Probably  this  is  because  so  many  of  their 
beliefs  are  connected  with  child  birth  and  the  health  of 
their  children,  or  because,  having  been  the  slaves  of  the 
men  for  so  many  generations,  the  women  cannot  be 
reached  by  appealing  to  their  reason  so  readily  as  can 
the  men. 

A  Contrast. — Blessed,  indeed,  are  the  girls  Who  may 
exchange  the  foul  and  loathsome  atmosphere  of  village 
life  for  the  pure  and  uplifting  environment  of  the  Mis- 
sion Home.  Here  they  learn  to  make  suitable  clothing, 
to  read  and  write  and  are  given  a  Christian  training. 
Here  they  are  taught  the  sacredness  of  their  bodies,  the 
sanctity  of  the  marriage  relation  and  the  crowning 
beauty  of  motherhood.  From  here  they  go  forth,  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  usually  mated  to  young  evangelists,  with 
bright  faces  and  shining  eyes,  either  to  their  own  vil- 
lages or  to  more  distant  fields  bearing  messages  of  cheer 
and  love  and  hope  to  their  less  fortunate  sisters.  Some, 
indeed,  lapse  back  into  heathenism,  but  these  are  rela- 
tively few.  The  majority  remain  true  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Home,  and  in  them  lies  the  hope  for  the  emanci- 
pation of  womankind  in  the  Kasai. 

Bukumba. — Bukumba,  the  little  hunchback  nurse  of 
young  George  Motte  Martin,  was  a  product  of  Pantops 
Home.     The  hump  on  her  back  was  a  mark  of  cruel 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  59 

heathenism.  In  a  moment  of  jealous  rage  one  of  the 
many  wives  of  Bukumba's  father  seized  the  helpless 
babe  and  deliberately  maimed  her  for  life.  Her  father, 
a  prominent  chief  who  afterwards  embraced  Christianity, 
brought  her  to  Luebo  for  care  and  training.  Many 
friends  here  at  home  came  to  know  her  merry  laugh  and 
beautiful  character. 


Miss  Maria  Fearing. — The  story  of  Pantops  Home 
is  not  complete  without  some  mention  of  this  conse- 
crated colored  lady  who  was  its  efficient  matron  for 
twenty  years.  Although  forty-five  years  of  age,  she  vol- 
unteered for  service  in  Africa.  She  owned  a  house  and 
lot  in  Anniston,  Alabama,  which  she  sold,  in  order  to 
carry  out  her  purpose,  and  added  thereto  a  small  sum 
of  money  which  she  had  in  bank,  the  savings  from  her 
wages  for  years  past.  With  the  funds  thus  secured  in 
the  most  praise-worthy  self-denial  she  proposed  to  defray 
her  own  expenses  to  Africa.  She  was  accepted  and  sent 
out  in  1894.  Always  frail  in  body,  nevertheless,  she 
gave  herself  to  the  training  of  the  young  girls  under  her 
care  with  a  devotion  rarely  equalled  anywhere.  The 
girls  loved  her,  and  the  missionaries  admired  and  re- 
spected her.  She  took  only  one  furlough,  and  this  at 
the  end  of  ten  years  of  service.     Owing  to  repeated  at- 


■J 


60      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    TIIK    BELGIAN    CONGO 

tacks  of  fever  and  the  increasing  infirmities  of  age,  she 
retired  in  1917  from  active  service  and  now  resides  in 
Selma,  Alabama.  May  this  striking  instance  of  the  devo- 
tion and  consecration  of  this  unpretending  colored  woman 
stir  the  hearts  of  all  to  a  warmer  appreciation  of  the 
African  race  at  home  as  well  as  abroad. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  from  the  beginning  we 
have  always  had  connected  with  the  Mission  some  col- 
ored missionaries  from  the  Southern  States.  In  all  there 
have  been  eleven.  At  one  time  the  colored  members 
outnumbered  the  white.  Moreover,  in  the  Congo  we 
have  never  drawn  the  color  line.  Each  man  and  woman 
is  apportioned  his  work  according  to  his  ability.  The 
colored  receive  the  same  salary  and  have  the  same  vote 
in  all  the  affairs  of  the  Mission,  as  the  white  mission- 
aries. The  most  cordial  and  harmonious  relations  exist 
between  the  two  races  and  undoubtedly  this  close  rela- 
tionship has  been  a  strong  factor  in  the  remarkable  suc- 
cess of  the  Mission. 

EDUCATIONAL  WORK 

A  Testimony. — In  1908  the  English  Consul,  Mr.  W. 
T.  Thesiger,  made  a  tour  of  a  part  of  the  Kasai  district. 
He  voluntarily  gave  the  following  testimony :  "As  re- 
gards education  the  work  of  the  Luebo  Mission  struck 
me  as  having  been  astonishingly  successful  especially 
among  the  Lulua  and  Baluba,  who  seem  to  be  animated 
with  a  passionate  desire  to  learn  to  read  and  write. 
Everywhere  I  found  schools  crowded  during  the  work 
hours,  and  I  must  have  received  a  score  of  petitions  dur- 
ing my  tour  from  the  smaller  villages,  asking  that  I  would 
give  them  a  letter  to  the  Mission  in  order  that  they,  too, 
might  obtain  a  teacher.  Under  these  circumstances  it 
was  not  surprising  to  learn  that  the  Mission  schools  and 
printing  press  were  unable  to  keep  pace  with  the  de- 
mand." 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  6l 

No  State  Schools. — Thus  the  school  room  is  a  strong 
factor  in  gaining  the  people.  Apart  from  a  few  schools 
run  by  Catholic  Orders  and  supported  by  the  Govern- 
ment there  are  no  State  institutions  in  the  Congo.  The 
important  work  of  education  is  sponsored  by  the  Mis- 
sions. 

The  Bible,  Our  Text  Book.— While  their  thirst  for 
knowledge  does  not  mean  that  these  eager  souls  are  al- 
ways desirous  of  accepting  Christ,  yet  no  pupil  ever 
leaves  our  schools  without  having  the  plan  of  salvation 
presented  to  him.  It  has  been  our  policy  from  the  be- 
ginning to  use  the  Bible,  or  portions  of  it,  as  the  chief 
text-book.  There  are  six  grades  in  the  day  schools.  In 
The  first  three  grades  Bible  Stories  are  told  to  the  pupils. 
In  the  fourth  grade  the  Parables  of  Christ  constitute  the 
text-book;  in  the  fifth,  a  paraphrased  translation  of  Rom- 
ans and  First  Corinthians ;  in  the  sixth,  the  pupil  must 
be  able  to  read  fluently  any  passage  in  the  Story  of  the 
Bible.  The  alphabet,  spelling,  arithmetic,  and  physiology 
are  taught  in  the  proper  grades. 

Memory  Work. — The  session  lasts  from  two  to  three 
hours  daily.  The  first  twenty  minutes  are  devotional, 
hymns  and  passages  of  scripture  being  taught  to  all. 
Their  remarkable  memories  enable  them  to  commit  eas- 
ily long  selections.  The  absence  of  a  written  language 
in  the  past,  necessitating  the  storing  in  their  minds  of 
every  business  transaction,  every  palaver,  has  developed 
the  memory  to  an  extent  that  would  be  considered  ab- 
normal in  European  and  American  children  whose  ad- 
vantages have  been  greater.  By  reason  of  this  fact  the 
leaders  of  the  Wednesday  and  Sunday  night  prayer- 
meetings  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
can  repeat  from  memory  any  particular  passage  they  wish 
to  expound.  The  average  native  child  will  learn  more 
rapidly  than  the  average  Arrterican  child,  but  with  age 
advancement  is  slower.    The  boys  are  generally  brighter 


J 


1/ 


(>2      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

than  the  girls.  It  is  difficult  to  make  much  progress 
with  the  married  women.  Education  for  the  masses  is 
purely  elementary.  Except  for  our  evangelists  higher 
education  is  neither  practicable  nor  necessary  for  the 
present. 

In  19 19  there  were  enrolled  in  the  day  school  17,484 
pupils. 

SABBATH  SCHOOLS. 

Lessons  based  on  the  International  Sunday  School 
Lessons,  prepared  by  a  committee  at  Luebo,  are  distrib- 
uted  to  all  missionaries  and  evangelists.  Each  Sabbath 
the  same  lesson  is  taught  on  all  Mission  stations  and 
out-stations.  The  pupils  learn  these  lessons  by  heart. 
The  Sabbath  Schools  are.  therefore,  an  important  feature 
of  our  educational  work.  In  1919  there  were  32,075  Sun- 
day School  scholars,  including  men  and  women. 

EVANGELISTS'  TRAINING  SCHOOLS. 

Station  Training  Schools. — Each  Mission  Station  has 
its  school,  separate  from  the  day  school,  for  the  training 
of  evangelists.  The  majority  of  the  candidates  come 
from  the  out-stations.  A  course  in  manual  labor  from 
two  to  three  hours  daily  is  compulsory.  Every  day  they 
go  out  in  groups,  either  in  the  early  morning  or  in  the 
late  afternoon,  to  nearby  villages  where  they  conduct 
evangelistic  services  and  teach  the  catechism.  In  this 
way  every  village-  within  a  radius  of  several  miles  is 
reached  by  the  gospel.  For  years  it  was  the  policy  of  the 
Mission  to  send  these  men  to  the  out-stations  as  soon 
as  they  became  proficient  in  reading  and  writing.  This 
was  made  necessary  by  the  frequent  calls  for  their  ser- 
vices and  the  need  of  occupying  the  territory  before  the 
opportunity  closed.  In  consequence  a  number  had  to 
be  sent  out  with  inadequate  preparation.  In  1919  there 
were  867  students  in  these  schools. 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  63 

Theological  Seminary. — But  in  1913  a  Theological 
Seminary,  with  higher  entrance  requirements  and  offer- 
ing thorough  courses,  was  organized  at  Luebo.  It  was 
transferred  to  Mutoto  in  19 17.  The  Station  Training 
Schools  are  feeders  for  the  Mutoto  Theological  Seminary, 
a  fuller  description  of  which  will  be  given  in  the  next 
chapter. 

INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION. 

Two  Principles.- — Two  fundamental  principles  under- 
lie industrial  work.  First,  the  attainment  of  a  Church 
supported  by  the  natives  through  the  thrift  and  industry 
of  their  own  hands.  The  time  is  past  when  we  may 
merely  teach  the  native  to  become  a  Christian  and  then 
leave  him  in  his  poverty  and  squalor  where  he  can  be 
of  little  or  no  use  to  the  Church.  Second,  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  native  to  take  the  largest  and  most  influential 
position  in  the  development  of  the  Colony.  Practically 
the  only  thing  open  to  the  Congolese  is  along  the  me- 
chanical and  manual  lines. 

Mechanical  and  Agricultural  Possibilities. — The  na- 
tives have  marked  mechanical  skill.  As  we  travel  among 
them  and  see  the  art  displayed  in  their  pot  making,  in 
their  mat  making  and  weaving,  we  find  talent  and  real 
genius  which  need  only  to  be  turned  in  the  right  chan- 
nel to  prove  a  benefit  to  the  civilized  world.  European 
demands  have  already  deprived  him  of  the  rubber  and 
ivory  of  his  land.  He  will  derive  little  benefit  from  the 
great  mineral  wealth  of  his  country,  consisting  of  iron, 
copper,  tin,  and  diamonds,  for  these  too  are  being  ex- 
ploited by  the  white  man.  But  undoubtedly  his  great 
future  lies  in  the  soil.  He  is  closer  to  the  soil  and  to 
agriculture  than  even  his  American  brother,  or  the  In- 
dian, as  he  naturally  subsists  on  the  few  products  that 
he  gathers  by  rude  methods  of  cultivation.     As  the  Eu- 


04      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE    GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

ropean  and  Asiatic  countries  turn  more  and  more  to 
manufactories  Central  Africa  will  take  a  prominent  part 
in  the  production  of  the  food  supply  of  the  world.  Rice, 
corn,  sweet  potatoes,  and  numerous  other  vegetables, 
also  coffee  and  coca  beans  flourish  there.  Such  fruits 
as  oranges,  tangerines,  limes,  lemons,  bananas,  pineap- 
ples,  grapefruit,  avocado  pears,  ox-hearts,  mangoes,  and 
pawpaws  grow  prolifically.  Cotton  has  been  successfully 
introduced  and  within  a  few  years  will  be  a  factor  on 
the  market.  Why  should  the  Congo  native  be  used  mere- 
ly as  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the  foreigner  in- 
stead of  getting  the  benefit  from  the  soil  that  belongs  to 
him?  The  greatest  fault  of  European  control  is  that  it 
Europeanizes  the  native  instead  of  teaching  him  to  use 
that  which  is  closest.  The  native  is  inherently  lazy,  not 
because  of  his  race  but  on  account  of  his  climate  and 
the  fact  that  he  does  not  need  to  exert  himself  to  obtain 
a  subsistence.  To  the  missionary  more  than  to  any 
other  is  due  the  development  of  any  moral  responsibility 
on  the  part  of  the  native  to  work  with  his  hands. 

Mission  Activities. — Our  Mission  has  always  recog- 
nized the  industrial  training  as  an  important  duty,  but 
lack  of  force  and  equipment  has  greatly  handicapped  us. 
Probably  very  few  recognize  the  enormous  amount  of 
industrial  work  that  enters  into  Congo  mission  life.  In 
China,  Japan,  Korea  and  Latin  America  the  missionary 
may  let  the  contract,  and  need  trouble  very  little  about 
his  house.  In  the  Congo  he  must  plan,  contract,  super- 
intend and  largely  construct  all  his  buildings.  This 
consumes  time,  especially  of  the  ordained  man,  which 
should  be  given  to  the  work  for  which  he  went.  Yet, 
in  this  he  finds  opportunity  to  instruct  and  enlarge  the 
desire  and  the  scope  of  the  native's  life.  During  thirty 
years' thousands  of  natives  have  been  employed  by  us 
and  have  been  taught  useful  trades,  such  as  brick-making 
and    brick-laying,    carpentry,    house    building,    mnning 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  65 

steamers,  sewing,  cooking,  and  improved  methods  of 
farming.  In  the  printing  office  they  have  been  taught 
how  to  set  type,  correct  copy,  bind  books,  and  to  do 
everything  connected  with  the  office.  In  1915  this  de- 
partment turned  out  33,400  books,  pamphlets  and  papers. 

Carson  Industrial  School. — At  Luebo  we  have  a  mag- 
nificent Industrial  School  building  erected  and  equipped 
through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Carson,  of 
Whiteville,  North  Carolina.  Here,  under  the  capable 
and  enthusiastic  leadership  of  Mr.  C.  R.  Stegall,  young 
men  are  being  fitted  to  cope  with  the  rapidly  changing 
conditions  of  life.  Since  the  natives  have  practically  no 
furniture,  not  even  chairs,  it  requires  no  prophet  to  fore- 
tell the  industrial  revolution  that  is  sure  to  come  as  the 
result  of  the  influence  of  this  school.  Incidentally,  the 
homes  of  missionaries  are  being  supplied  with  all  neces- 
sary furniture  from  the  Carson  Industrial  School  at  about 
half  the  European  cost,  when  the  expense  of  transporta- 
tion is  included.  A  saw  mill  supplies  the  Training  School 
with  lumber.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  there  are 
great  virgin  forests,  containing  mahogany,  ebony  and 
hundreds  of  other  kinds  of  timber,  that  have  never  heard 
the  sound  of  the  lumberman's  axe. 

Agricultural  School. — An  Agricultural  School,  in  its 
infancy,  is  located  two  miles  from  Luebo  on  our  250- 
acre  farm.  It  supplies  the  twenty  odd  missionaries  and 
the  200  children  in  the  Pantops  Home  and  the  "fences" 
with  all  kinds  of  vegetables.  When  properly  equipped 
we  hope  to  have  a  great  work  like  that  of  our  Church  at 
Lavras,  Brazil.  Two  agricultural  men  are  urgently  need- 
ed to  develop  this  work. 

Trained  Men  Needed. — The  call  for  industrial,  agri- 
cultural and  business  men  is  the  outstanding  need  of  our 
Mission  today.  Steamboats  must  be  run;  stations  must 
be  J-swd  off;  homes,  hospitals,  schools  and  churches  must 


Furniture  made  by  the  boys  in  the  Carson  Industrial  School, 
Luebo. 

Brick-laying  by  boys  in  the  Carson  Industrial  School. 

Mr.  C.  R.  Stegall  and  some  of  the  boys  in  the  Carson  Indus- 
trial School. 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  67 

be  built;  business  must  be  carried  on  and  natives  must 
have  industrial  training.  In  the  past  most  of  this  me- 
chanical work  has  been  accomplished  by  preachers.  But 
trained  men  are  required.  Not  only  will  they  save  money 
and  give  us  better  equipment,  but  they  will  also  release 
ordained  ministers  for  the  teaching  and  the  ministry  of 
the  Word.  Pastoral  work  has  suffered  and  golden  op- 
portunities have  slipped  past  unchallenged  because  we 
ministers  have  been  compelled  to  turn  aside  to  build 
houses,  run  steamers  and  keep  accounts. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Hillhouse. — This  wonderful  opportunity  to 
release  preaching  power  moved  Mr.  W.  L.  Hillhouse, 
a  layman  of  Calhoun,  Georgia,  to  consecrate  his  life  to 
industrial  work  in  the  Congo.  Although  past  fifty  years 
of  age  he  relinquished  a  successful  business  career  and 
went  out  in  1914.  Seldom  has  it  been  given  to  a  man, 
within  the  brief  time  of  six  years,  to  impress  the  stamp 
of  his  genius  upon  mission  work  as  Mr.  Hillhouse  has 
done.  Every  station,  save  one,  can  show  evidence  of 
his  constructive  labors.  His  only  regret,  shared  by  the 
Mission,  is  that  he  did  not  go  out  thirty  years  earlier. 
Are  there  not  other  younger,  consecrated  laymen  who 
will  join  hands  with  this  noble,  experienced,  Christian 
rrijan?  "The  men  who  do  these  things  will  add  to  a  vo- 
cation a  glorious  opportunity  to  preach  through  their 
lives  and  works  a  gospel  as  strong  as  any  preacher  ever 
uttered."— J.  W.  Allen. 

"THE    STEAMER    OF    GOD." 

Its  Necessity. — Since  we  are  nine  hundred  miles  from 
our  nearest  base,  Kinshasa,  and  are  compelled  to  im- 
port from  Europe  or  America  our  clothing,  provisions, 
barter  goods  and  other  requirements,  a  steamer  is  a  ne- 
cessity. The  same  is  true  of  most  Congo  Societies.  At 
first  it  was  believed  that  Government  and  trading  steam- 
ers would  meet  our  needs,  but  these  soon  proved  in- 


68       rRIUMPHS   OF   THE    GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

adequate  for  their  own  wants.  Consequently  we  began 
to  suffer  from  poor  transport  communications  with  Stan- 
ley Pool.  Hundreds  of  loads  lay  there  for  months  spoil- 
ing, while  at  Luebo  the  missionaries  were  facing  dire 
want. 


"The  Steamer  of  God,"  The  S.  N.  Lapsley. 

The  Two  Steamers. — The  children  of  the  Church  gave 
the  first  Lapsley,  but  it    soon    proved    too    small    for    our 

growing  work.  Moreover,  it  was  not  properly  made  for 
contending  against  the  rushing  currents  of  the  Congo 
river.  Therefore  the  sad  disaster  to  it,  to  which  refer- 
ence has  been  made,  was  not  surprising.  The  crisis  was 
met  in  a  remarkably  short  time  by  the  children  of  the 
Church  who  contributed  $40,000  for  a  stronger  and  bet- 
ter boat.  This  boat  was  made  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and 
shipped  in  sections  to  Lebpoldville,  where  it  was  put 
together  by  Rev.  L.  C.  Vass  and  Mr.  \V.  B.  Scott.  Dur- 
ing fourteen  years  it  has  been  a  source  of  economy  and 
blessing  to  us. 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  6y 

An  Evangelizing  Agency. — Its  possession  can  be  justi- 
fied only  on  the  ground  of  transport  necessity.  Yet  it 
has  been  blessed  of  God  as  an  evangelizing  agency 
Along  the  Kasai  and  Congo  rivers  it  is  known  as  "The 
Steamer  of  God."  An  evangelist  conducts  religious  ser- 
vices, a  day  school,  and  inquirers'  class  for  the  forty  wood- 
choppers  and  the  twenty  odd  members  of  the  crew.  All 
this  is  under  the  supervision  of  the  Captain  and  his  wife. 
Between  Luebo  and  the  mouth  of  the  Kasai  river  are 
vast  territories  unoccupied  by  any  Protestant  Society. 
But  there  are  trading  houses,  rubber  plantations  and 
Government  posts.  At  these  points  are  to  be  found  col- 
onies of  Baluba,  many  of  them  our  converts,  who  have 
been  recruited  from  Luebo. 

Mangi. — The  Belgian  manager  of  the  plantation  at 
Mangi,  the  brother  of  a  Catholic  priest,  observing  that 
the  natives  worked  better  under  some  religious  influence, 
gladly  welcomed  our  evangelist.  He  said  that  our  peo- 
ple were  more  efficient  as  workmen  than  the  Catholics. 

Dima. — At  Dima,  the  headquarters  of  the  Kasai  Rub- 
ber Company,  there  is  a  colony  of  several  hundred  Balu- 
ba. Here  we  have  had  an  evangelist  for  a  number  of 
years  and  a  very  fruitful  work.  The  people  began  to 
work  on  their  own  initiative,  building  a  chapel  and  send- 
ing the  collections  to  Luebo. 

Eolo. — One  Saturday  night  the  Lapsley  tied  up  at 
Eolo  for  the  Sabbath.  Of  the  many  steamers  plying  the 
Kasai  the  Lapsley  alone  observes  this  as  a  day  of  rest. 
The  usual  services  were  held.  A  young  village  lad  was 
deeply  impressed.  On  Monday  he  entreated  the  Captain 
to  allow  him  to  go  to  Luebo.  He  remained  a  year  in  the 
"fence"  of  Mr.  Sieg,  where  he  learned  Baluba,  to  read 
and  write,  and  gave  his  heart  to  the  Saviour.  Then  he 
returned  to  Eolo.  The  next  time  the  Lapsley  stopped 
here  the  young  convert  proudly  led  the  missionary  to  a 


JO      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

neat  chapel  which  had  been  built  by  his  direction.  He 
was  the  self-constituted  teacher,  conducting  daily  serv- 
ices, reading  from  his  Buluba  Bible,  translating  the  same 
into  the  language  of  his  district,  and  leading  his  people 
to  Christ.  So  the  blessed  work  has  progressed  at  other 
places  like  Basongo  and  Kinshasa.  Many  precious  souls 
have  been  won  for  the  Master.  The  ordained  mission- 
aries, as  they  go  and  come,  examine  and  receive  the  can- 
didates who  are  ready  for  Church  membership.  Who 
can  estimate  the  influence  these  isolated  river  out-sta- 
tions will  have  upon  the  future  evangelization  of  these 
vast  regions? 

MEDICAL  WORK 

The  value  of  medical  missions  in  gaining  the  confi- 
dence of  the  native  needs  no  arguing.  But  some  de- 
scription of  the  conditions  confronting  the  missionary 
and  the  results  achieved  by  him  will  help  to  stimulate 
greater  interest  in  this  field  of  endeavor. 

Diseases. — The  more  prevalent  forms  of  disease  are 
malaria,  intestinal  parasites  (the  round  worm,  the  hook 
worm,  the  thread  worm  and  occasionally  the  tape  worm), 
pneumonia,  dysentery,  hematuric  fever,  venereal  trou- 
bles, leprosy  and  sleeping  sickness.  Then  there  are 
chronic  ulcers,  cuts,  eye  diseases,  infectious  diseases  of 
childhood  and  acute  major  and  minor  surgical  cases. 
In  connection  with  leprosy  it  is  interesting  to  note  that 
nothing  is  being  done  by  the  Government  in  all  the  Kasai 
region  to  stop  the  disease.  There  is  no  law  which  com- 
pels the  chiefs  to  segregate  the  lepers.  A  leprous  man 
may  marry  as  many  wives  as  he  may  choose. 

On  the  other  hand  typhoid  fever,  yellow  fever,  scarlet 
fever,  bubonic  plague,  and  pellagra  have  not  reached  the 
kasai.  Diphtheria  is  rare,  measles  is  of  mild  form,  and 
tuberculosis  is  of  very  recent  origin. 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  7 1 

Superstitions. — What  is  the  attitude  of  the  native  to- 
wards disease  and  death  ?  These  are  with  him  the  direct 
result  of  someone's  malign  influence.  Superstition, 
therefore,  is  the  greatest  enemy  the  missionary  has  to 
combat.  In  one  village  seventeen  men  were  given  the 
poison  cup  to  discover  who  had  bewitched  a  man  with 
sleeping  sickness.  Some  have  attributed  this  disease  to 
foreign  salt,  the  salt  being  made  out  of  dead  men's  bones. 
Some  believe  that  wasting  sickness  is  due  to  brass  tacks 
in  the  knees.  Sickness  in  the  family  is  often  believed 
to  be  due  to  the  infidelity  of  the  wife.  If  a  mother  dies, 
leaving  a  helpless  babe  it  too  will  die  because  of  the 
superstition  that  another  woman  nursing  it  will  herself 
become  barren.  The  first  attention  an  infant  receives 
is  a  sand  bath.  Artificial  food,  coarse  and  indigestible, 
is  forced  down  the  unwilling  throat  of  a  three  months' 
old  baby.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  infant  mortality 
is  as  high  as  seventy-five  per  cent. 

The  Witch  Doctor. — Under  these  circumstances  the 
most  important  native  man  in  all  Africa  is  the  witch 
doctor.  He,  not  the  chief,  is  the  arbiter  of  life  and  death. 
He  concocts  the  myriads  of  amulets,  fetishes  and  "medi- 
cines" that  protect  the  hut,  keep  the  wives  faithful  to 
their  husbands,  discover  the  criminal,  heal  the  sick,  wreak 
vengeance,  invoke  and  exorcise  the  spirits,  benevolent 
and  malevolent.  Ninety-five  per  cent  of  the  pagan  popu- 
lation of  Africa  acknowledges  and  fears  the  power  of  the 
witch  doctor.  Only  two-fifths  of  one  per  cent  is  under 
Christian  medical  treatment. 

Opening  Doors. — Before  the  advance  of  the  Christian 
physician  the  witch  doctor  recedes,  his  power  weakens, 
shrivels  and  grows  impotent.  The  patient  instruction, 
sympathetic  love  and  unquestioned  skill  of  the  medical 
missionary  open  closed  doors  before  which  the  evangel- 
istic man  has  knocked  in  vain. 


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GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  73 

A  Bonfire. — Mai  Manene  had  sufered  many  years 
from  a  hernia.  He  had  spent  great  wealth  on  the  witch 
doctors  without  relief.  The  missionary  persuaded  him 
to  submit  to  an  operation.  The  herna  was  removed. 
The  old  chief  declared  that  he  would  test  the  cure  for 
four  months  and  if  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  hernia 
had  not  returned  he  would  publicly  renounce  his  faith 
in  fetishes  and  witch  doctors.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
time  the  missionary  visited  Mai  Manene  and  reminded 
him  of  his  promise.  It  was  Sunday  afternoon.  True  to 
his  word  the  gray  haired  chief  proclaimed  his  new  faith, 
gave  up  all  his  "medicines"  and  idols,  Following  his 
example  the  people  brought  their  amulets  and  idols,  sym- 
bols of  their  old  religion,  and  piled  them  at  the  feet  of 
the  missionary,  who  had  the  inexpressible  joy  of  striking 
a  match  to  the  whole.  Today  there  is  a  flourishing  church 
in  that  village. 

The  Medical  Staff. — In  the  light  of  these  conditions 
what  have  we  in  the  way  of  medical  workers  and  equip- 
ment? During  the  first  sixteen  years  our  Mission  strug- 
gled against  the  witch  doctor,  unaided  by  either  regis- 
tered physician  or  trained  nurse.  It  is  not  surprising 
that  four  of  the  seven  deaths  in  the  history  of  our  work 
occurred  during  these  years.  In  1906,  L.  J.  Coppedge 
went  out.  He  coped  single-handed  for  nine  years  with 
the  witch  doctor,  and  in  all  gave  twelve  years  of  devoted, 
skillful  service  to  the  cause.  His  unselfish  service  to 
State  officers,  traders  and  the  unfortunate  victims  of 
sleeping  sickness  won  deserving  recognition  from  His 
Majesty,  King  Albert,  who  made  him  a  Chevalier  of  the 
Royal  Order  of  the  Lion.  In  1914  Miss  Elda  May  Fair, 
a  graduate  trained  nurse,  and  the  following  year  Dr.  T. 
T.  Stixrud  were  added  to  the  force.  Since  then  Dr.  R. 
R.  King,  Dr.  E.  R.  Kellersberger,  Mrs.  T.  T.  Stixrud, 
Mrs.  S.  N.  Edhegard,  Miss  Rubv  Rogers  and  Miss  E.  Lar- 


74      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

son  have  gone  out.     However,  Dr.  Coppedge  resigned 
in  1918,  and  Mrs.  Edhegard  in  1919. 

Needs. — Owing  to  the  frequency  of  furloughs,  it  often 
happens  that  several  of  our  stations  must  go  without 
medical  attention  for  many  months  at  a  time.  This  is 
intolerable,  especially  when  women  and  children  are  con- 
cerned. We  should  have  not  less  than  eight  physicians 
and  thirteen  trained  nurses. 

Through  the  splendid  generosity  of  Mrs.  McKowen, 
of  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  we  have  a  fine  hospital  at 
Luebo.  But,  alas,  after  thirty  years  of  labor  in  the 
Congo,  we  can  boast  only  this  one  hospital.  Funds  are 
in  hand  for  a  small  hospital  to  be  erected  at  Mutoto,  and 
also  for  a  dispensary  at  Bulape.  We  should  have  at 
least  seven  modern  hospitals.  In  1919  there  were  60,000 
treatments,  not  including  thousands  of  influenza  treat- 
ments, given  to  some  5,000  patients.  At  least  one-half 
of  these  were  treated  at  Luebo. 

IBANCHE 

(i897) 

A  Closed  Door. — One  of  the  reasons  our  pioneers 
went  to  Luebo  was  the  interesting  reports  of  the  dom- 
inant Bakuba  tribe  which,  with  its  nine  subject  races, 
occupies  the  territory  lying  between  the  Sankuru,  Kasai 
and  Lulua  rivers  as  far  as  the  twenty-second  degree  east 
longitude.  It  was  only  natural  that  they,  beginning  their 
work  among  the  Bakete,  should  desire  to  plant  a  station 
at  Mushenge,  the  capital  and  chief  town  of  the  Bakuba. 
But  the  door  was  closed.  Lukengu,  the  royal  designa- 
tion of  each  Bakuba  monarch,  as  Pharaoh  was  of  the 
Egyptian  rulers,  had  decreed  that  no  foreigner  should 
see  his  face  or  penetrate  to  his  capital.  In  1892  Dr. 
Sheppard  (colored)  decided  to  make  the  attempt.     After 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  75 

facing  and  overcoming  many  difficulties  he  at  last 
reached  the  coveted  presence  of  the  king,  who  mistook 
him  for  a  son  lost  in  childhood,  and  gave  himi  a  royal 
welcome.  Unfortunately  before  sufficient  re-enforce- 
ments reached  Luebo  the  king  died.  He  was  succeeded 
by  a  Lukengu  who  at  once  showed  himself  to  be  a  cruel, 
haughty,  superstitious,  and  blood-thirsty  villain.  He 
gave  his  entire  kingdom  a  reign  of  terror  and  renewed 
the  edict  prohibiting  outsiders  from  visiting  his  town. 

Ibanche  Opened. — In  1897  the  Mission  appointed  Dr. 
Morrison  and  Dr.  Sheppard  to  make  a  second  attempt 
to  open  the  Bakuba  tribe  for  the  entrance  of  the  gospel. 
Forty  miles  north  of  Luebo  they  were  halted  at  the  bor- 
der town  of  Ibanche.  The  king  sent  word  that  he  would 
receive  them  when  it  suited  his  convenience.  Months 
passed,  the  royal  invitation  was  delayed,  until  it  was  ap- 
parent that  Lukengu  would  not  see  them.  Accordingly 
the  Mission  decided  to  open  a  station  at  Ibanche  until  a 
more  favorable  opportunity  arose  to  establish  a  post 
nearer  Mushenge.  After  a  few  months  Dr.  Morrison 
was  recalled  to  Luebo,  while  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sheppard  took 
up  their  permanent  residence  at  Ibanche. 

Its  Dual  Nature. — At  this  time  the  population  of  Ib- 
anche was  composed  of  six  Bakuba  villages  containing 
about  seventeen  hundred  people.  Within  a  few  years 
som'e  three  thousand  Baluba  and  Bena  Lulua  people  had 
settled  there  and  were  clamoring  for  instruction.  Thus 
it  came  about  that  this  station  served  a  dual  purpose. 
While  endeavoring  to  gain  the  local  Bakuba,  always 
having  in  view  the  ultimate  reaching  of  the  heart  of  the 
kingdom,  yet  it  was  impossible  to  deny  the  eager  long- 
ings of  these  settlers. 

The  work  grew  despite  the  continued  opposition  of 
the  king,  which  resulted  in  a  revolt  against  the  Govern- 
ment, and  the  complete  destruction  of  Ibanche  station. 


;-(>       rRIUMPHS   OF    THE    GOSPfcL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

The  local  Bakuba  and  the  l.uebo  Bakete  remained  loyal, 
otherwise  our  missionaries  might  have  been  massacred. 

Development. —  The  Maria  Carey  Home  for  girls  and 
a  similar  home  for  boys,  to  which  only  Bakuba  children 
were  admitted,  reaped  splendid  results.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Sheppard  retired  from  the  held  in  1910.  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Kdmiston  (Col.),  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Rochester  (Col.), 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Rochester. 


and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  McC.  Sieg,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  M. 
Washburn,  and  others,  have  had  large  shares  in  the 
work  of  this  station.  For  seventeen  years  the  work  of 
evangelization  went  forward  at  Ibanche.  Several  thou- 
sand souls,  including  some  hundred  Bakuba,  have  been 
won  to  Christ.  Many  teachers  and  evangelists  have  gone 
forth  to  villages  denied  to  the  missionary. 

Abandoned. — In  1915  the  long  coveted  site  of  a  sta- 
tion near  Mushenge  was  obtained.  Ibanche,  having 
served  its  purpose  as  a  stepping  stone  into  the  Bakuba 
kingdom,  was  abandoned  as  a  Mission  Station.  It  was 
decided  that  the  missionaries  located  there  were  to  con- 
secrate every  energy  toward  breaking  through  the  hard 
conservatism  of  the  people  of  Lukengu.  The  Baluba 
work  was  taken  over  by  Luebo  Station  and  has  been  car- 
ried on  by  Baluba  evangelists.     How  the  Bakuba  work 


GAINING    THE    PEOPLE  /7 

was  continued  and  is  being  greatly  blessed  of  God  to- 
day will  be  apparent  when  the  story  of  Bulape  Station 
is  told  in  the  next  chapter. 

BURNING  ZEAL. 

Remarkable  Growth. — During  the  first  four  years  of 
seed  sowing  not  one  convert  was  gained.  But  on  March 
10,  1895,  four  boys  and  three  girls,  the  first  fruits,  were 
received  into  the  Church.  By  1900  there  were  467  com- 
municants and  in  1905  the  number  had  increased  to  4,928. 
How  are  we  to  account  for  such  a  wonderful  fruitage? 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  this  time  there  were 
only  fifteen  missionaries,  nine  colored  and  six  white,  con- 
nected with  the  work.     Four  of  these  were  women. 

Bualu  Buandi." — For  several  years  the  early  con- 
verts did  not  grasp  their  duty  and  responsibility  as  wit- 
ness bearers.  Very  few  seemed  to  feel  the  call  to  preach. 
"Bualu  Buandi,"  his  business,  meaning  that  one  must  not 
interfere  in  the  personal  affairs  of  another,  was  applied 
to  religious  matters.  They  were  content  that  the  preach-  ^t 
ing  should  be  done  by  the  missionaries. 

Prayer  Band. — This  attitude  was  a  source  of  great  . 
distress  to  the  missionaries,  who,  in  1899,  formed  a 
prayer  band  and  earnestly  besought  the  Lord  of  the  har- 
vest to  thrust  forth  native  evangelists  into  the  ripening 
fields.  Soon  they  were  rejoicing  to  see  their  prayers 
answered.  Next  they  opened  several  outstations  near 
Luebo,  using  a  number  of  young  men  to  assist. 

Christian  Endeavor.— Finally  in  1900  a  Christian  En-  ^ 
deavor  Society  was  organized  with  twenty  choice  young 
men.  Out  of  this  grew  the  first  training  school  for  evan- 
gelists. In  1902  the  burning  zeal  of  the  missionaries 
found  expression  in  another  plan.  After  much  prayer 
and  meditation  they  decided  that  with  the  help  and  grace 


Method  of  bringing  a  log  from  the  forest  to  the  saw  mill.  Below 
this  are  natives  bearing  heads  of  Red  Buffalo,  killed  in  the 
chase.  The  picture  at  the  bottom  shows  the  burning  of  fetishes 
in  the  village  of  Mai  Manene.  Rev.  T.  E.  Reeve,  of  the> 
Methodist  Mission,  holds  a  python  in  the  picture  to  the  side. 


GAINING   THE    PEOPLE  79 

of  God  "every  village  in  the  vicinity  of  Luebo  should  be 
thoroughly  evangelized  during  the  year."    The  members 
of  the  Christian  Endeavor  entered  heartily  into  it.    Each  . 
afternoon  the  evangelists,  for  such  they  had  become,  di- 
vided into  groups,  with  a  missionary  leading  each  group, 
visited-£very  village  within   a   radius  of  several  miles,  \ 
teaching  and  preaching  the  Word  that  quickeneth.    This^ 
activity  resulted  in  increased  numbers  added  to  the  cate- 
chumen  classes  and  the  schools.     The  Church  had  to  be 
enlarged  three  times  to  accommodate  the  throngs. 

Zeal  of  Natives. — The  evangelistic  fire  of  the  mission- 
aries was  transmitted  to  the  converts.  Dating  from  the 
formation  of  the  prayer  band  there  has  never  been  a 
lack  of  teachers  and  evangelists.  Henceforth  to  tell  the 
good  news  became  a  passion  with  them.  At  the  close 
of  this  period,  in  1905,  there  was  a  band  of  forty  evangel- 
ists conducting  daily  services  in  thirty-eight  nearby  sta- 
tions and  in  six  distant  outstations,  two  among  the  Ba- 
kuba  and  four  among  the  Bena  Lulua.  Thirty-four 
splendid  young  men  were  being  instructed  in  the  train- 
ing school.  Of  the  1,112  converts  admitted  during  this 
one  year  409  came  from  the  Lulua  out-stations.  In  the 
annual  report  for  1905  we  read:  "With  the  obstacles  of 
State  concessions  before  us,  whereby  we  are  not  per- 
mitted to  open  new  stations,  we  believe  our  God  in  an- 
swer to  our  prayers  is  stirring  up  the  hearts  of  these 
young  men  here  to  go  unto  their  fellowmen  (a  thought 
they  could  not  entertain  some  time  ago),  bearing  the 
precious  words  of  the  Kingdom." 


CHAPTER  III. 

!§  #rototng  OTorfe 

(1906-1920) 


CHAPTER  III. 

&  <P>rotomg  Wiork 


1.  Far    Reaching    Policies. 

(i)   Missionary  Itinerators 
(2)  Native   Responsibility 

2.  Luebo 

(1)  The  Town 

(2)  Varied  Activities 

(3)  A  Contrast 

3.  The  Lulua. 

(1)  Origin 

(2)  Traits 

(3)  Results 

4.  The  Zappoo-zaps 

(1)  History 

(2)  Traits 

(3)  Triumphs 

5.  Mutoto  (1912) 

(1)  Delegations 

(2)  Rapid    Growth 

(-})  Theological  Seminary 

6.  Lusambo    (1913) 

(1)  A   Macedonian   Call 

(2)  Abounding  Grace 

(3)  Missionary    Comity. 

7.  Bulape  (1914) 

(1)  Bakuba   Origin 

(2)  The  Bakete 

(3)  Kolesha  Muoyo 

8.  Bibangu    (1917) 

(1)  The  Balula 

(2)  Traits 

(3)  Prospects 

9.  Hindrances 

(1)  Poor    Communications 

(2)  Animism 

(3)  Mixed  Motives 

(4)  Godless  Foreigners 

(5)  Government  Opposition 

(6)  Inadequate  Force. 


CHAPTER  III. 

&  <@rotoing  OTorfe 

(1906- 1920) 

The  rerrtarkable  growth  of  the  Congo  Mission  has  for 
many  years  been  known  to  the  members  of  our  Church, 
and  for  some  time  has  attracted  the  attention  of  many 
without  our  bounds  who  are  interested  in  world  missions. 
While  we  must  attribute  this  success  primarily  to  the 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  people,  preparing 
whole  tribes  for  the  gospel  message,  yet  we  believe  that 
He  has  none  the  less  guided  us  in  the  formulating  of  far- 
reaching  policies. 

Missionary  Itinerators. — For  fifteen  years  there  were 
only  six  outstations  further  than  a  day's  journey  from 
Luebo.  In  1906  it  was  decided  that  two  missionaries  be 
set  aside  as  travelling  evangelists.  Trips  of  exploration 
had  been  made  in  the  past,  but  now  intensive  work  in 
each  village  was  to  be  the  rule.  During  this  year  two 
itineraries  were  made  covering  a  period  of  six  months. 
Fifty  villages  were  visited.  The  gospel  message  was 
brought  to  the  ears  of  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  people.  This  marked  the  beginning  of  the  more 
rapid  expansion  of  the  work.  One  immediate  result  was 
the  establishment  of  ten  new  outstations.  This  policy 
has  been  continued  to  the  present  day.  Our  problem  for 
ten  years  has  been  how  to  meet  the  pressing  demands 
both  for  teachers  and  missionary  visitation.  Since  the 
inauguration  of  this  policy  the  yearly  average  of  con- 
verts has  been  1,422.  The  outstations  numbered  523 
in  1919. 

Native  Responsibility. — We  have  seen  how  the  first 
converts  displayed  a  lack  of  desire  to  assume  responsi- 


84      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IX    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

bility.  This  was  overcome  by  actually  laying  on  them 
all  the  responsibility  they  could  bear.  In  the  school 
room  as  soon  as  a  pupil  learned  the  alphabet  he  was  put 
to  teaching  others.  Young  teachers,  though  inadequate- 
ly prepared,  were  placed  temporarily  in  charge  of  out- 
stations.  Frequently  men  from  the  work  line  have  been 
sent  to  fill  posts  until  evangelists  could  be  trained.  In 
some  instances  the  itinerating  missionary  has  taken  men 
from  his  caravan  to  meet  urgent  calls.  The  carrying  out 
of  this  policy  has  developed  initiative  and  confidence  in 
the  native  Christians. 


LUEBO. 

The  Town. — The  growth  of  Luebo  Station  has  been 
phenomenal.  The  population  of  2,000  in  1890  has  in- 
creased to  18,000  in  1920.  The  great  town  had  been 
built,  like  all  Congo  villages,  in  a  straggling  fashion. 
Three  years  ago  Messrs.  Martin  and  Vinson  carefully 
surveyed  the  land  and  drove  fine  avenues  with  cross 
roads  through  the  old  village.  The  magnitude  of  this 
work  may  be  understood  when  it  is  known  that  the  total 
length  of  the  streets  thus  laid  out  is  about  thirty  miles. 
It  is  a  wonderful  testimony  to  the  influence  of  the  Mis- 
sion that  the  people  tore  dowrn  practically  the  entire  vil- 
lage and  rebuilt  it  according  to  the  new  plan.  Each 
house  has  its  own  portion  of  ground  with  out-houses  and 
sanitary  conveniences  all  inclosed  in  a  fence.  The  dif- 
ferent chiefs,  with  the  advice  of  the  missionaries,  have 
drawn  up  a  code  of  laws  for  the  government  of  the  town. 
Pastoral  visitation  and  oversight  have  been  greatly  facili- 
tated. 

Varied  Activities. — Certain  visitors  have  felt  disposed 
to  criticize  the  large  concentration  of  missionaries  on 
one  station.     It  is  true  that  one-half  of  the  total  force  is 


A    GROWING    WORK  85 

found  at  Luebo.  But  when  we  consider  the  number  of 
activities  here  it  is  surprising  that  they  can  be  carried  on 
even  with  so  large  a  staff.  Luebo  has  always  been,  and 
probably  will  remain,  the  administrative  center  of  the 
Mission.  It  is  the  logical  place  for  the  headquarters  of 
such  departments  as  the  steamer,  industrial,  agricultural, 
publication,  business,  and  legal.  The  McKowen  hospital 
and  the  Pantops  Home  for  girls  are  located  here.  There 
is  also  a  preparatory  training  school  for  evangelists.  The 
local  and  outstation  evangelistic  work,  involving  the  pas- 
toral oversight  of  ten  thousand  Christians,  requires  a 
number  of  ordained  missionaries.  Luebo  Station  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  evangelization  of  the  Bakete,  the  Zapno- 
zaps,  the  greater  part  of  the  Bena  Lulua,  and  thousands 
of  Baluba  scattered  throughout  the  territory.  The  na- 
ture and  the  scope  of  this  work  demand  a  substantial  in- 
crease of  the  staff.  We  cannot  evangelize  the  far  Baluba 
country  by  crippling  Luebo.  At  the  same  time,  the  ether 
Mission  Stations  should  have  their  forces  doubled. 

South  Luebo. — With  the  establishment  of  the  Capital 
of  the  Kasai  District  and  a  Roman  Catholic  Mission  on 
the  South  bank  of  the  Lulua  river,  several  thousand  of 
our  people  were  forced  by  the  State  to  settle  on  the  other 
side.  This  necessitated  our  placing  over  there  an  auxili- 
ary station,  which  we  call  South  Luebo.  A  unique  fea- 
ture is  the  prison  work  of  the  elder  Kalombo.  With  the 
permission  of  the  State  authorities  he  visits  the  prisoners, 
finds  out  their  villages  and  tribes,  writes  letters  to  their 
people,  preaches  to  them,  and  ministers  to  the  sick  and 
dying.  Those  who  find  their  way  back  home  go  with 
settled  convictions  about  our  Mission.  Kalombo  is  a 
gifted  preacher,  a  good  organizer  and  popular  with  the 
people.  His  work  is  equal  to  that  of  a  missionary,  per- 
haps surpasses  it. 


o 

P 


A    GROWING    WORK  87 

THE  BAKETE. 

A  Contrast. — Thirty-five  thousand  Bakete  are  found 
in  the  Luebo  territory.  In  the  first  chapter  they  were 
described  as  conservative,  unprogressive  and  self-cen- 
tered. During  twenty-five  years  not  one  convert  was 
gained  among  them.  They  were  always  friendly,  but 
never  took  the  gospel  seriously.  However,  in  the  last 
five  years  a  wonderful  change  has  come  over  them.  At 
last  they  have  become  concerned  for  their  souls.  Out- 
stations  have  been  established  in  20  villages.  In  the  early 
days  it  was  difficult  to  understand  the  plan  of  God  as 
shown  in  the  stony  indifference  of  these  people.  But 
time  has  revealed  that  His  ways  are  better  than  our 
ways.  He  closed  the  door  to  this  small  tribe  until  the 
great  Baluba  people  had  carried  the  good  news  to  every 
section  of  the  country.  Now,  since  the  nature  and  ex- 
tent of  our  fields  have  been  clearly  defined,  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  being  poured  out  upon  the  Bakete.  It  is  the 
day  of  His  power  and  of  their  salvation. 

THE  BENA  LULUA. 

Unlike  the  Bakete  the  Bena  Lulua  have  from  the  be- 
ginning manifested  a  remarkable  eagerness  for  the  gos- 
pel or  for  anything  the  white  man  has.  In  language  they 
are  closely  allied  to  the  Baluba,  but  in  physique,  cus- 
toms and  tribal  characteristics  they  are  quite  distinct. 
It  is  probable  that  they  once  extended  further  east,  but 
were  driven  into  their  present  home,  between  the  Kasai 
and  Lulua  rivers  south  of  Luebo,  by  the  more  dominant 
Baluba  race.  They  number  perhaps  500,000.  They  were 
ruled  over  by  a  king,  Mukenge  Kalamba,  who  displayed 
a  deadly  hostility  towards  the  State  and  inflicted  several 
severe  defeats.  At  last  he  voluntarily  made  peace  on 
condition  that  he  was  to  be  let  alone.  The  State  broke 
its  pledged  word  and  divided  his  power.     Encouraged 


88      TRIUMPHS   OF    THE    GOSPEL    IN"    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

by  this  many  of  his  people  revolted.     Now,  there  must 
be  one  hundred  separate,  independent  chiefs. 

Their  Degeneracy. — It  is  claimed  that  once  they  were 
a  noble,  virile  race.  Torday  has  described  them  as  "clean, 
tall  and  of  good  bearing."  Those  with  whom  we  have 
come  in  contact  are  quite  the  reverse.  They  are  dirty, 
small  of  body  and  degenerate.  This  condition  no  doubt 
may  be  accounted  for  by  their  smoking  Indian  Hemp, 
by  their  imperfect  marriage  system  and  the  degraded 
position  of  their  women.  The  narcotic  makes  them  ex- 
citable and  impulsive,  just  like  a  mob  of  children.  "The 
Baluba  sell  their  women,  we  lease  ours"  is  just  another 
way  of  saying  that  they  do  not  admit  the  binding  force 
of  marriage.  The  parents  always  retain  control  of  their 
children.  A  man  never  finishes  paying  for  his  wife.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  is  less  venereal  disease  among 
them  than  among  other  tribes.  Neither  do  they  allow 
their  women  to  become  mistresses  of  white  men.  There 
is  little  shame  among  them  before  marriage,  yet  an  un- 
faithful wife  is  less  common  than  among  the  Baluba. 
The  Lulua  women  are  very  hard  workers.  After  clear- 
ing the  forest,  the  men  only  trap  and  hunt.  They  be- 
lieve that  the  women  are  beasts  of  burden.  They  make 
splendid  workers  when  necessary,  but  in  respect  to  man- 
ual labor  they  are  bound  by  their  traditions  and  super- 
stitions. Strange  to  say,  the  women  agree  to  and  ag- 
gressively defend  the  tradition.  The  children  are  bright 
and  attractive  in  infancy,  but  after  puberty  the  change 
comes. 

Good  Traits. — They  have,  however,  some  splendid 
traits.  They  are  exceedingly  friendly.  There  is  no  more 
enthusiastic  people  in  the  Congo.  Tn  spite  of  debilitating 
customs  they  possess  great  physical  endurance.  Dancing 
keeps  them  in  trim.  On  salary  the  men  work  well  both 
for  us  and  for  companies.  They  are  courageous  and  fight 
like  hornets. 


A    GROWING    WORK  89 

Kalamba's  Appeal. — Among  this  tribe  the  gospel  mes- 
sage spread  like  a  prairie  fire.  They  were  eager  to  learn. 
They  gladly  sent  their  sons  and  daughters  to  Luebo. 
They  pleaded  for  teachers.  Outstations  sprang  up  like 
mushrooms.  The  whole  kingdom  was  opened  to  us  ten 
years  ago  when  Kalamba  sent  this  message  to  Luebo: 
"I,  Kalamba,  the  king  of  the  Luluas,  have  long  been  a 
seeker  after  life.  I  have  gone  west  as  far  as  the  Great 
Waters,  but  the  Portuguese  satisfied  me  not.  I  went 
east  and  the  Belgians  gave  me  perfection  guns  which 
said,  T  take  life,  but  I  cannot  give  it.'  I  have  sought  to 
the  south  and  the  wizards  comforted  me  not.  But  pass- 
ers-by have  declared  your  gospel  to  me,  and  I  am,  sat- 
isfied at  last.  My  searchings  are  ended.  I  and  my  peo- 
ple are  yours.  Accept  as  guarantee  my  own  child,  whom 
I  am  sending  to  you.  But  come  quickly  here  to  my  home, 
where  we  all  await  you.  Your  God  make  you  merciful 
to  me." 

Results. — In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  tests  for  Church 
membership  are  more  rigid  for  the  Luluas  than  for  others, 
they  have  come  rushing  into  the  Kingdom  faster  than 
we,  with  or  inadequate  missionary  force,  really  wish. 
For  instance,  no  man  from  this  tribe  will  be  admitted  to 
the  Church  until  he  has  raised  and  harvested  a  crop.  In 
many  villages  the  tradition  touching  manual  labor  has 
been  abandoned.  This  is  almost  as  great  a  victory  as 
winning  them  to  purity.  Some  of  our  finest  Christians 
have  come  from  this  tribe.  There  is  Chiyekeli,  an  elder, 
and  Mwayila,  a  deacon,  of  the  Lusambo  Church.  Buk- 
umba,  who  recently  died  in  America  and  who  was  Mrs. 
Motte  Martin's  constant  companion  for  years,  was  a 
Muena  Lulua.  She  was  a  fitting  illustration  of  what 
grace  can  do  in  a  race  as  degenerate  as  hers.  Centuries 
of  ignorance  and  superstition  are  responsible  for  their 
degeneracy.  The  power  of  God  is  slowly,  but  surely, 
cleansing  this  people  and  placing  them  on  a  higher  plane. 


<)0      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

THE  ZAPPO-ZAPS. 

History. — These  interesting  people  are  a  branch  of  the 
Basonge  tribe,  who  live  between  the  Sankuru  and  Lorn- 
ami  rivers.  They  derive  their  name  from  the  first  chief, 
Zappo-zap,  who  revolted  from  the  Basonge  ruler,  Pania 
Mutombo,  near  Lusambo.  This  brigand  chief  enrolled 
himself  first  of  all  as  an  ally  of  the  Arabs.  He  gathered 
around  him  a  considerable  following  of  Basonge,  Batalela 
and  other  war-like  raiders.  Long  before  the  coming  of 
the  white  man  their  slave  raiding  parties  were  scouring 
the  country,  leaving  a  trail  of  burnt  villages  and  half- 
eaten  bodies,  while  hundreds  of  slaves  were  annually 
exchanged  with  the  Arabs  for  guns,  ammunition,  cloth, 
and  other  articles  of  European  manufacture.  After  the 
Arabs  were  crushed,  Zappo-zap  took  the  side  of  the  Con- 
go Free  State,  which  established  him  at  Luluaburg  with 
a  strong  following  of  Basonge  warriors.  They  were  now 
within  striking  distance  of  the  Baluba  territory.  The 
Baluba  have  always  brought  the  best  price  in  the  slave 
market.  Their  raids  were  so  frequent  and  so  successful 
that  the  market  became  glutted.  Lapsley,  in  his  diary, 
says  that  a  man  was  worth  only  three  goats.  The  Con- 
go Free  State  now  formed  an  alliance  with  the  Zappo- 
zaps  to  assist  in  the  suppression  of  revolts  and  in  slave 
raiding.  As  a  reward  the  State  divided  slaves  with  them 
and   permitted   cannibalism. 

Characteristics. — During  Zappo-zaps  lifetime  they  had 
an  autocratic  government.  He  exacted  implicit  obedi- 
ence. But  after  his  death,  to  prevent  too  much  power 
being  concentrated  in  one  man  the  State  divided  the 
people  between  chiefs  who  are  intensely  hostile  to  each 
other.  They  are  highly  intelligent,  judicial  and  quick 
in  their  manner.  They  have  splendid  physiques.  They 
easily  excel  other  tribes  in  all  industries  in  which  they 
are  engaged.  Their  fields  are  well  cultivated ;  men  and 
women  work  side  by  side.     They  use  the  long-handled 


A    GROWING    WORK  9 1 

hoe,  a  most  unusual  practice  among  Kasai  peoples.  They 
make  plenty  of  cloth,  and  use  it  generously  on  their 
bodies.  But  the  blacksmiths  are  easily  the  most  clever 
workmen  of  their  tribes.  They  are  keen,  subtle  traders. 
It  is  seldom  that  they  are  outdone  in  a  transaction.  Their 
villages  are  nicely  laid  out,  the  houses  large,  well-built 
and  clean. 

Immorality  and  "Medicines." — Possessing  such  ad- 
mirable qualities,  the  Zappo-zaps  offer  a  great  field  for 
missionary  endeavor.  On  the  other  hand,  immorality 
and  superstition  are  a  severe  handicap  to  the  present  de- 
velepment  of  a  virile  Christianity.  In  morals  they  are 
rotten,  worse  than  the  Luluas.  They  glory  in  their 
shame.  Again,  they  are  the  most  superstitious  of  peoples. 
They  are  hypnotists  and  sleight-of-hand  workers  to  a 
superlative  degree.  They  are  pre-eminently  the  "medi- 
cine" makers  of  the  Kasti.  Zappo  "medicine"  is  sought 
by  all. 

Gospel  Triumphs. — But  they  are  not  without  hope.  In 
the  first  place  they  are  pliable.  If  we  could  get  the  chil- 
dren from  under  the  influence  of  the  elders,  or  patri- 
archs, of  the  village,  we  could  do  anything  with  them. 
More  and  more  they  are  being  permitted  to  attend  the 
Luebo  Schools.  Tambue,  the  present  chief,  is  a  bap- 
tized communicant.  When  his  father,  Zappo-zap,  died, 
he  refused  to  inherit  his  wives,  saying  that  the  Bible 
teaches  a  curse  upon  the  man  who  uncovers  his  father's 
nakedness.  Another  outstanding  triumph  of  grace  was 
the  conversion  of  Zappo-zap's  head  witch  doctor.  He 
not  only  gave  up  his  witchcraft  but  also  became  a  mo- 
nogamist. Later  he  entered  the  evangelistic  work.  For 
a  while  Zappo-zap  humored  him.  But  when  sickness 
laid  hold  upon  the  chief  and  when  all  his  other  witch 
doctors  had  failed  to  help  him,  he  sent  for  this  man  and 
ordered  him  to  make  "medicines"  as  of  old.  The  convert 
refused,  saying  that  the  power  of  life  and  death  lay  with 
God.    At  first  Zappo-zap  was  furious.    Dire  threats  were 


Kalamba,   Chief  of  Luluas. 


A    GROWING    WORK  93 

made,  even  to  the  taking  of  his  life.  In  the  end,  out 
of  sheer  admiration  for  the  man's  courage,  Zappo-zap 
released  him  to  go  serve  his  God  unmolested.  In  the 
face  of  what  the  gospel  has  done  for  the  most  super- 
stitious, most  degraded  man  in  the  village,  there  is  no 
room  for  discouragement  on  our  part.  There  is,  under 
grace,  a  great  future  for  this  splendid,  though  sin-cursed 
race. 

MUTOTO. 

(1912) 

Delegations. — The  tidal  wave  was  sweeping  on  to- 
wards the  heart  of  the  Baluba  country.  The  interest  of 
the  people  in  the  Mission,  whether  from  pure  or  nu^ed 
motives,  may  be  seen  by  a  quotation  from  the  Kasai 
Herald  of  January,  1913.  "Since  the  first  of  May,  19T2, 
as  many  as  sixty-four  delegations,  from  villages  repre- 
senting a  population  conservatively  estimated  at  120,000 
and  a  territory  extending  three  hundred  miles  to  the 
east,  have  visited  the  Mission  in  quest  of  our  teachers 
or  evangelists.  Some  of  these  villages  have  sent  as 
many  as  six  times." 

A  New  Station. — A  station  somewhere  to  the  east 
was  imperative.  Six  times  within  thirteen  years,  the 
State  had  refused  to  grant  us  sites  for  new  stations.  But 
in  1920,  an  official  with  a  high  sense  of  justice  agreed  to 
recommend  any  place  selected.  Accordingly,  Dr.  Mor- 
rison was  sent  to  search  out  a  suitable  spot.  Mrs.  Mor- 
rison accompanied  him.  During  four  months  they  trav- 
elled some  seven  hundred  miles.  The  present  site  of  Mu- 
toto  was  chosen.  It  is  160  miles  due  east  of  Luebo  and 
lies  two  hours  off  the  caravan  route  between  I.uluaburg 
and  Lusambo,  being  forty  miles  from  the  former  and 
ninety  miles  from  the  latter.  It  is  magnificently  lo- 
cated in  the  midst  of  a  great  palm  grove  fronting  a  low 


Mrs.  W.  M.  Morrison. 


A     CROW  IXC     WORK  95 

range  of  beautiful  hills.  In  the  summer  of  1912  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  G.  T.  McKee  and  Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger  were 
assigned  to  Mutoto  and  the  station  was  formally  occu- 
pied. One  result  of  this  was  that  a  vast  territory,  with 
many  outstations,  formerly  reached  from  Luebo,  fell  au- 
tomatically within  the  sphere  of  influence  of  the  new 
station.  The  greater  part  of  the  population  is  composed 
of  the  Bena  Lulua,  but  scattered  throughout  the  section 
are  many  thousand  of  Baluba  and  some  Zappo-zaps. 
There  are  perhaps  800,000  people  in  this  field. 

Mutoto,  A  Star. — This  is  the  native  name  of  Mrs.  W. 
M.  Morrison  who,  on  November  21st,  1910,  at  Luebo, 
entered  into  her  eternal  rest.  She  was  permitted  only 
four  years  of  service  in  Africa.  It  is  fitting  that  this 
new  station  should  perpetuate  the  memory  of  one  whose 
missionary  career  shone  with  such  brilliance. 

Rapid  Growth. — With  the  coming  of  resident  mis- 
sionaries the  work  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds.  In  the 
first  year  two  elders  were  ordained  and  a  native  church 
organized.  Sixteen  months  after  occupation  there  were 
thirty-three  evangelists  and  fifty-one  teachers  conducting 
regular  services  in  eight  outstations.  Fifty  calls  for 
evangelists  have  come  in  during  the  current  year.  "In 
two  sections  the  work  has  opened  to  us  simply  because 
of  the  persecution  our  evangelists  and  adherents  have 
endured."  A  careful  study  of  the  latest  statistics  will 
show  that  Mutoto  is  second  only  to  Luebo  in  importance 
as  a  field  for  evangelistic  work.  Missionaries,  7;  organ- 
ized congregations,  2;  outstations,  190;  native  workers, 
277;  communicants,  7,378;  Christian  constituency,  11,069; 
schools,  173;  students,  4,401. 

Morrison  Memorial  Training  School  for  Evangelists. 
— Organized  in  1913  at  Luebo  with  twelve  students,  this 
school  now  numbers  303.  It  has  two  departments,  theo- 
logical, and  preparatory  for  those  who  are  not  able  to 
meet  the  entrance   requirements   of  the  former.        The 


A    GROWING    WORK  97 

theological  department  embraces  a  course  of  three  years. 
Manual  labor  three  hours  daily  is  compulsory.  This  en- 
ables the  students  to  provide  the  most  of  their  food. 
Special  work  is  being  done  by  evangelists  whose  past 
training  has  been  meagre.  Last  year  thirty  of  these 
were  sent  out  after  completing  their  courses,  while  six- 
teen full  graduates  were  distributed  among  the  other 
Mission  Station's.  This  school  is  the  great  hope  of  the 
native  church,  for  from  it  are  coming  its  future  leaders. 
Rev.  C.  L.  Crane  is  Principal  of  the  school.  Associated 
with  him  are  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Plumer  Smith,  Rev.  A.  A. 
Rochester,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Crane,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  R.  R. 
King. 

LUSAMBO. 

(i9T3) 

The  opening  of  Lusambo  Station  seems  to  have  been 
providential.  In  1910,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Morrison  were  led 
of  the  Spirit  to  visit  this  place.  Being  denied  a  camping 
place  within  the  town,  they  recrossed  the  river.  The 
next  day  a  Baluba  chief,  Katshibala,  proffered  the  hos- 
pitality of  his  small  village.  It  was  gratefully  accepted. 
Several  meetings  were  conducted  for  these  Baluba  peo- 
ple, then  they  departed. 

A  Macedonian  Call. — One  year  later  Katshibala  ap- 
peared at  Luebo  to  request  an  evangelist.  Two  were 
given  him.  For  many  months  they  endured  persecu- 
tion at  the  hands  of  the  Catholics. 

Strategic  Importance. — Lusambo,  the  capital  of  the 
Kasai  District,  situated  on  the  Sankuru  river,  which  is 
the  largest  tributary  of  the  Kasai,  is  an  important  com- 
mercial center.  The  white  population  fluctuates  between 
seventy  and  ninety,  while  the  native  is  estimated  at  sixty 
thousand.  The  Baluba  comprise  forty  per  cent.  Our 
responsibility    in    the    district    includes    about    200,000. 


98      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Realizing  that  it  must  inevitably  become  a  transport  base 
for  Mtitoto  and  other  interior  stations,  the  Mission  ap- 
plied in  1912  for  a  site.  It  was  refused  at  first,  but  later 
granted  when  appeal  was  made  direct  to  the  Colonial 
Minister  in  Brussels. 

Formal  Opening. — In  June,  1913,  Mr.  W.  L.  Hillhouse 
and  Rjev.  R.  D.  Bedinger  began  work.  Soon  they  were 
joined  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  McKinnon.  From  the  be- 
ginning the  local  field  has  been  difficult.  The  town  is 
a  cesspool  of  iniquity.  It  is  a  Catholic  stronghold.  We 
have  had  to  fight  our  way  inch  by  inch.  Yet,  at  the 
end  of  seven  years  we  have  an  organized  church  of  518 
members,  a  Christian  constituency  of  1788,  an  ordained 
native  pastor,  34  outstations,  48  evangelists,  and  2,689 
Sabbath  School  pupils.     The  future  is  bright. 

Abounding  Grace. — On  the  first  itinerary  made  in  the 
interior  the  missionary  discovered  church  sheds,  with 
daily  services  being  conducted  in  fifteen  villages.  The 
explanation  was  that  a  young  lad  had  visited  his  rela- 
tives near  Luluaburg,  where  he  came  in  contact  with  a 
Luebo  evangelist.  He  learned  the  Ten  Commandments 
and  several  hymns.  He  returned  to  his  village  and  be- 
gan to  teach  what  he  knew.  The  fire  spread.  Thus  for 
two  years  before  the  missionary  appeared,  the  Spirit  had 
found  a  way  to  begin  His  work  of  preparation.  The 
nearest  village  in  which  this  work  was  going  on,  was 
sixty  miles  from  Lusambo.  Cur  aim  has  been  to  try 
to  gain  entrances  into  the  intervening  villages.  We  have 
had  some  success. 

Missionary  Comity. — In  January,  1914,  Bishop  W.  R. 
Lambuth  arrived  with  six  missionaries  at  Lusambo  en- 
route  to  Wembo  Niama  to  found  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Congo  Mission  among  the  Batetela  tribes,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  peoples  in  the  Congo.  They  now  have  a 
second  station  at  Lubefu.     Being  nearly  200  miles  from 


A    GROWING   WORK  99 

Lusambo,  their  nearest  transport  base,  it  would  have 
been  necessary  for  them  to  open  a  station  here  but  for 
the  prompt  action  of  our  Mission,  which  offered  to  do 
this  work  for  them.  In  this  way  we  have  been  able  to 
co-operate  with  these  brethren  in  a  manner  similar  to 
that  of  the  Lower  Congo  Missionary  Societies  with  us. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Methodists  have  come  to  our  re- 
lief at  a  critical  moment,  placing  Mr.  E.  B.  Stitz  at  Lu- 
sambo. He  has  been  there  alone  for  a  year,  holding  the 
work  together  until  missionaries  on  furlough  return. 
Without  this  co-operation  from  them  at  great  sacrifice 
to  their  work,  one  of  our  stations  would  have  been 
closed.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  two  Missions  to  co- 
operate further  by  supporting  jointly  a  business  man  at 
Lusambo. 

BULAPE 
(1915) 

Bakuba  Origin. — Ibanche  was  abandoned  when  the 
site  at  Bulape,  near  Mushenge,  the  Bakuba  capital,  was 
obtained  in  1915.  "The  tradition  among  the  Bakuba  is 
that  they  came  from  the  Northeast  and  settled  down  as 
conquerors  on  the  banks  of  the  Sankuru ;  that  they  were 
one  people  once  with  the  Basonge ;  and  that  when  they 
crossed  the  Sankuru  and  advanced  towards  the  Lulua 
they  ran  up  against  the  Baluba  coming  from  the  South- 
east. They  are  described  now  as  the  most  powerful,  con- 
servative, least  changed,  and  most  tenacious  of  their  own 
customs  of  all  the  surrounding  tribes." — Johnston.  Lu- 
kengu,  the  autocratic  king,  rules  over  ten  tribes.  The 
Bakuba  proper  do  not  exceed  75,000  in  number,  while  the 
nine  subject  tribes  number  approximately  175,000. 

Characteristics. — The  Bakuba  possess  certain  quali- 
ties which,  when  consecrated  to  Christ,  will  make  them 
easily  our  strongest  Christians.    They  are  the  aristocrats 


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A    GROWING   WORK  IOI 

of  Central  Congoland.  Physically  they  are  large  and 
strong.  They  are  industrious,  they  smelt  and  work  iron, 
weave  cloths,  embroider  and  dye  them.  Their  carving 
and  mat  making  reveal  artistic  taste.  Unlike  the  wan- 
dering Baluba,  they  are  home-bodies.  Outside  the  cap- 
ital they  are  chiefly  monogamists.  Elders  are  venerated, 
children  are  loved.  They  are  quiet  and  dignified,  but 
proud  of  their  king  and  kingdom.  They  are  loyal  to  the 
core.  "As  to  organization,  it  is  both  comprehensive  and 
minute.  Starting  from  Lukengu,  the  absolute  sovereign, 
the  empire  is  divided  into  districts,  every  district  into 
villages,  every  village  into  departments,  every  depart- 
ment into  families,  each  having  a  head  or  chief  personally 
responsible  to  his  immediate  superior  for  the  faithful 
discharge  of  all  duties.  And  in  case  of  any  injustice 
there  remains  to  every  individual  either  the  higher  courts 
or  the  right  of  personal  appeal  to  his  king." — Martin. 

Bulape  Occupied. — In  the  spring  of  191 5  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  H.  M.  Washburn  formally  occupied  the  station.. 
Since  then  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C.  T.  Wharton  and  Miss  E. 
M.  Fair  have  joined  them.  For  a  year  prior  Mr.  Wash- 
burn spent  his  entire  time  itinerating.  He  literally  lived 
among  the  people,  going  from  village  to  village,  Mrs. 
Washburn  remaining  at  Luebo.  His  prestige  among  the 
Bakuba  and  subject  tribes  is  similar  to  that  of  Mr.  Mar- 
tin among  the  Baluba  and  Bena  Lulua.  He  won  particu- 
lar favor  with  the  Bakete  people,  second  of  the  subject 
races  in  size  and  importance.  These  people  are  not  the 
same  as  the  mongrel  Bakete  at  Luebo.  They  belong  to 
the  cannibal  Bakete  south  of  Luluaburg.  They  are 
really  a  branch  of  the  migratory  Baluba,  speaking  that 
language,  retaining  the  same  responsive,  progressive 
spirit.  Accordingly,  the  station  was  located  at  Banzeba, 
within  a  few  miles  of  Mushenge.  The  name  has  since 
been  changed  to  Bulape  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
Mrs.  A.  A.  Rochester,  a  colored  missionary  of  high  abil- 


102      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

ity,  who  died  at  Mutoto  on  May  14,  1914,  after  eight 
years  of  efficient  and  consecrated  service.  It  was  a  wise 
selection,  because  they  could  continue  preaching  with 
the  Buluba  tongue  and  at  the  same  time  were  in  close 
touch  with  the  Bukuba.  Although  Buluba  is  understood 
throughout  the  kingdom,  it  has  been  decided  that  the 
people  can  best  be  reached  through  the  Bukuba  lan- 
guage. Rev.  C.  T.  Wharton  has  applied  himself  to 
translation  work.  Mr.  Washburn  writes :  "I  believe  the 
work  done  by  Mr.  Wharton  is  more  important  in  its  far- 
reaching  effects  than  anything  done  in  our  station  for 
the  past  year,  unless  it  be  that  of  training  the  young  men 
for  the  evangelistic  work  by  the  native  elder,  Kabuya." 

Medical  Work. — There  are  many  deadly  snakes 
around  Bulape.  Formerly,  a  yearly  toll  of  natives  was 
exacted  by  these  venomous  reptiles.  Medical  treatment 
has  saved  hundreds  of  lives.  Mr.  Washburn  tells  of 
heroic  work  by  Miss  Fair  and  others  fighting  dysentery 
in  fifty  villages.  Some  of  those  treated  died,  but  many 
were  healed.  He  says:  "As  a  result  of  this  and  other 
medical  work  we  have  now  a  waiting  list  of  forty-seven 
villages  that  have  asked  from  two  to  twenty  times  for 
teachers."  The  leaven  is  at  work.  The  adamant  con- 
servatism of  the  Bakuba  is  crumbling.  The  entire  king- 
dom is  opened.  The  missionaries  there  are  full  of  hope 
and  encouragement. 

Statistics  of  1919. — Missionaries,  5 ;  Church  organiza- 
tions, 1;  outstations,  17;  native  workers,  29;  communi- 
cants, 212;  Christian  constituency,  1,663;  schools,  19; 
pupils,  1,791. 

Kolesha  Muoyo. — This  remarkable  elder  of  the  Bu- 
lape Church  is  an  example  of  the  type  of  Christian  the 
Bakete  are  making.  Brought  up  in  a  "fence"  at  Ibanche, 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  as  workman,  hammock-man, 
teacher,  and  finally  became  an  evangelist.     After  several 


A    GROWING    WORK  103 

years  among  the  outstations,  he  was  recalled  and  made 
a  deacon,  then  an  elder.  He  developed  rapidly  and  soon 
attained  front  rank  as  a  preacher.  He  has  unusual  gifts 
in  this  line.  He  has  a  passion  to  know  what  the  Bible 
teaches.  Mr.  Washburn  thinks  him  the  most  devotional 
native  Christian  he  knows.  He  is  the  only  native  whom 
he  has  seen  cry  when  speaking  of  the  sorrows  of  Christ. 
For  the  most  part  he  is  very  humble,  but  he  has  a 
"temper  like  a  whirlwind,"  which,  under  grace,  he  is 
learning  to  control.  His  conception  of  duty  is  seen  from 
this  incident :  He  was  sent  into  a  section  of  the  Bakuba 
country  where  a  missionary  had  never  been.  His  fear- 
less preaching  brought  on  him  a  "curse"  from  the  chief. 
The  people  stopped  coming  to  hear  him,  but  he  remained 
on  at  his  post  testifying  by  his  life  and  example.  When 
questioned  about  it,  he  said  that  if  he  were  ordered  to 
go  and  sit  in  a  plain  with  no  people,  it  would  be  his 
duty  to  go.  He  met  his  wife  when  she  was  a  little  girl. 
Her  parents  tried  several  times  to  marry  her  off  to 
another,  but  she  remained  true  to  him.  When  he  became 
a  teacher  they  were  married.  It  was  a  real  love  match, 
a  very  rare  thing  in  the  Kasai. 

BIBANGU 

(1917) 

The  Baluba. — Our  youngest  station  is  situated  in  the 
Lomami  District,  near  Kabinda,  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
Baluba  tribes.  It  is  approximately  150  miles  east  of 
Mutoto  and  300  miles  from  Luebo.  "East  of  the  middle 
Kasai,  south  of  the  lower  Lulua  and  of  the  Lubefu, 
west  of  the  Lomami  (though  extending  their  influence  and 
linguistic  connections  far  beyond  these  limits),  is  the 
domain  of  the  remarkable  Luba  peoples,  who  were,  no 
doubt,  fndamentally  connected  in  history  with  the  Lua 
(Rua)   and  Lunda  tribes.     The  Baluba  may  have  been 


104      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

originally  kin  to  the  Bakuba.  They  seem  to  have  founded 
the  empire  of  Lunda,  the  commercial  colonies  of  the 
Kwango  River,  to  have  moulded  the  warrior  tribes  of 
the  Ba-Kioko,  and  to  have  created  powerful  monarchies 
here  and  there  between  the  Kasai,  Sankuru  and  Lake 
Mweru." — Johnston. 

Traits. — They  are  migratory.  The  term  Baluba,  evi- 
dently applied  to  them  by  outsiders,  means  "the  wan- 
derers." They  are  adaptable  and  progressive,  more. so 
than  all  the  other  tribes.  They  are  steady,  not  easily 
excitable.  They  are  industrious,  men  and  women  work- 
ing hard,  while  never  in  a  hurry.  They  have  made  this 
section  of  the  country  and  are  in  large  demand  all  over 
the  Congo  as  laborers  on  steamers,  on  plantations  and 
in  factories.  They  are  chiefly  an  agricultural  people, 
raising  great  quantities  of  corn,  cassava,  potatoes,  peas, 
beans  and  other  native  products.  In  morals  they  are 
purer  than  the  other  tribes,  save  perhaps  the  Bakuba. 
Before  the  regime  of  the  white  man  adultery  was  pun- 
ishable by  hanging.  Now  the  State  has  made  it  a  crime 
to  give  capital  punishment  to  those  guilty  of  this  sin. 
Consequently  it  is  indulged  in.  The  Baluba  will  believe 
anything  you  say,  yet  their  credulity  is  tempered  with 
unexpected  shrewdness.  They  possess  innate  ideas  of 
justice,  as  witness  their  courts  and  settlements.  They 
possess  great  endurance.  They  are  brave,  hunting  leop- 
ards, lions  and  buffalo.  The  fact  that  they  have  been 
preyed  upon  and  taken  in  large  numbers  as  slaves  does 
not  mean  that  they  are  less  courageous  than  the  Basonge 
or  Batetela.  They  are  a  peaceful  people,  living  upon 
the  open  plains.  Had  they  been  provided  with  European 
guns  as  were  the  Zappo-zaps,  there  would  have  been 
quite  a  different  history  for  them.  But  they  are  wonder- 
fully docile.  It  is  astonishing  to  see  the  readiness  of 
these  people  to  be  led,  easily  led. 


A   GROWING   WORK  105 

Bibangu  Opened. — Possessing  such  traits,  the  Baluba 
are  naturally  the  backbone  of  the  Church  and  of  the 
country.  Other  tribes  recognize  their  superiority  and 
insist  on  having  them  as  evangelists.  The  three  native 
pastors,  the  majority  of  the  elders,  deacons  and  evangel- 
ists are  Baluba.  Most  of  the  work  among  the  Baluba 
has  touched  only  those  tribes  that  have  left  their  original 
country  to  settle  around  the  white  men.  For  years  many 
delegations  from  large  Baluba  tribes  have  besieged 
Luebo  and  Mutoto  begging  for  teachers  and  the  opening 
of  a  station  in  their  midst.  For  long  the  Mission  had 
planned  to  occupy  this  land  of  promise,  but  it  was  not 
until  1912  that  our  force  was  increased  enough  to  justify 
even  the  exploration  that  was  made  in  that  year.  Five 
years  later  the  desire  was  consummated.  Two  sites  were 
chosen  and  rejected.  A  third,  Mbua  Matumba,  was  oc- 
cupied by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  G.  T.  McKee,  and  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  S.  N.  Edhegard.  At  the  end  of  six  months,  during 
which  time  the  two  families  lived  in  a  small  three-room 
mud  house,  the  Government  under  Catholic  pressure 
denied  them  the  concession.  They  were  given  two 
weeks'  notice  to  depart.  The  present  site  of  Bibangu, 
eight  miles  away,  was  selected.  Our  heroic  missionaries, 
fearing  another  expulsion,  lived  here  six  months  in  grass 
huts,  enduring  fearful  hardships  from  storms,  mosquitoes 
and  fevers.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  E.  R.  Kellersberger  were  as- 
signed to  Bibangu  in  1918. 

"Smokes  of  Many  Villages." — From  its  elevation  of 
3,000  feet  Bibangu  overlooks  the  valley  of  the  Lubilash 
river  around  which  centers  most  of  the  folklore  of  the 
people.  This  river,  called  Sankuru  at  Lusambo,  can  be 
seen  in  ten  different  places  as  it  winds  its  way  among 
the  hills.  As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  the  hills  tower 
majesticcally,  and  the  plains,  dotted  here  and  there  with 
clumps  of  palms,  roll  with  matchless  splendor.  The 
smokes   of   countless   villages   ascend    heavenward.     By 


106      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

them  the  boys  can  indicate  the  homes  from  which  the 
flower  of  our  Church  is  coming.  That  spot  just  across 
the  Lubilash  is  the  place  where  Mutombo  Katshi,  with 
40.000  subjects,  dwells,  and  the  birthplace  of  two  of 
our  native  pastors.  The  smoke  a  bit  to  the  north  of  it 
is  the  domain  of  the  Bakuanga,  10,000  strong,  from  which 
our  Lusambo  pastor  hails.  One  is  thrilled  at  the  sight, 
for  there  before  him  are  the  land  and  its  people  about 
which  he  has  heard  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The 
land  is  ours  for  the  taking.  The  people  are  ready  and 
eagerly  awaiting.  And  the  work  of  grace  has  begun. 
Rev.  G.  T.  McKee  in  his  last  report  says,  "Less  than 
eighteen  months  ago  the  greatest  chief  in  all  this  Baluba 
country  was  strongly  opposed  to  us  and  our  work  and 
would  permit  no  teacher  of  the  Mission  to  labor  in 
his  territory.  Indeed,  he  would  hardly  agree  to  talk  to 
any  of  our  missionaries  passing  through  his  village. 
Now  there  are  fifteen  teachers  among  his  people,  two 
being  located  at  his  request  in  his  own  village.  He  is 
our  firm  friend." 

Growth. — At  the  end  of  the  second  year's  occupation 
of  Bibangu  the  work  is  seen  by  these  statistics  to  be  in 
a  healthy  condition.  Missionaries,  4;  organized  congre- 
gations, 1:  outstations,  41;  native  workers,  48;  com- 
municants, 102;  Christian  constituency,  1,039;  Sabbath 
Schools,  41 ;  Sunday  School  membership,  823 ;  schools, 
42;  students,  833. 

HINDRANCES  TO  GROWTH 

When  all  has  been  said  about  the  development  of  the 
work,  one  must  admit  that  it  has  advanced  under  severe 
handicaps.    Only  a  few  can  be  mentioned. 

Poor  Communication  Facilities. — There  are  no*  roads 
in  Central  Congoland,  only  trails.  We  have  no  trains, 
no  automobiles,  no  horses,  no  oxen      You  walk,  or  are 


A    GROWING    WORK  IOJ 

carried  in  a  hammock.  It  requires  a  month  to  make  com- 
fortably the  round  trip  between  Luebo  and  Lusambo,  or 
Bibangu.  It  requires  250,000  porters  to  transport  the 
tonnage  of  the  average  American  freight  train.  All  this 
makes  Mission  work  expensive,  the  evangelization  of 
interior  tribes  and  the  oversight  of  the  flock,  difficult. 

Animism. — While  we  have  none  of  the  organized 
ethical  religions  of  the  Orient,  yet  animism,  or  religious- 
ness, is  very  strongly  imbedded  in  the  natures  of  the 
natives.  Even  after  professed,  or  real,  conversion  this  is 
constantly  cropping  out  in  one  form  or  another.  It  is  */ 
hard  to  create  the  sense  of  sin  and  rare  to  see  one  come 
trembling  and  crying,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
The  constant  presence  of  heathenism  naturally  has  its 
blighting  effect. 

Mixed  Motives. — The  reader  must  not  suppose  that 
all  the  delegations  pleading  for  teachers,  or  that  all  the 
villages  thrown  wide  open,  imply  hungering  and  thirst- 
ing after  righteousness.  Often  far  from  it !  Many  come 
for  political  purposes,  hoping  to  flourish  behind  the 
prestige  of  the  Mission.  Some  seek  only  the  loaves  and 
fishes.  Others  are  attracted  by  curiosity,  and  still  others 
for  political  purposes,  hoping  to  flourish  behind  the 
few  have  come  really  seeking  eternal  life.  We  care  not 
how  ulterior  the  motive  as  long  as  the  opportunity  and 
presentation  of  our  message  is  so  aboundantly  assured. 
It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth. 

Lives  of  Godless  Foreigners. — Most  white  traders  and 
State  officials  have  native  mistresses.  Further,  the  State 
has  licensed  adultery  contrary  to  the  custom  and  desire 
of  the  natives,  notably  of  the  Baluba.  A  Belgian  judge 
at  Luebo  sent  a  soldier  to  call  one  of  our  girls  from  the 
Pantops  Home.  To  protect  her  an  elder  had  to  knock 
the  soldier  down.  This  was  reported  to  the  judge  who, 
angered  by  his  thwarted  purpose,  sent  a  squad  of  soldiers 


108      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

to  arrest  the  elder,  threw  him  in  prison  and  had  him 
severely  beaten.  For  three  days  he  lay  in  prison  despite 
the  efforts  of  the  Mission  to  secure  his  instant  release. 
This  almost  caused  a  serious  revolt  on  the  part  of  the 
loyal  evangelists  who  deeply  resented  the  injustice  done. 
Not  only  does  licensed  adultery  cause  much  strife,  dis- 
sension and  misery  in  the  villages,  but  it  also  imperils 
the  homes  and  therefore  the  future  of  the  people. 

Catholic  and  Government  Opposition. — Roman  Ca- 
tholicism as  practiced  in  the  Congo  suits  the  degraded 
savage.  To  him  it  is  the  line  of  least  resistance  and 
settles  him  in  his  innate  tendencies  towards  superstition 
and  idolatry.  Catholicism  produces  no  real  change  of 
life.  Moreover,  it  is  destructive  to  morals,  to  a  free  form 
of  government  and  to  education.  We  might  struggle 
against  such  a  handicap  with  a  larger  measure  of  success, 
if  there  was  absolute  impartiality  on  the  part  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. Unfortunately,  there  is  an  inevitable  connec- 
tion between  State  and  Church.  Catholic  priests  boldly 
assert  their  unity  with  the  State,  while  prejudiced  de- 
cisions on  the  part  of  many  officials  proclaim  the  boast 
a  fact.  This  combination  against  Protestantism  began 
during  the  notorious  regime  of  King  Leopold  II.  It  is 
a  known  fact  that  the  exposure  of  the  fearful  atrocities 
which  shocked  the  civilized  world  a  few  years  back, 
emanated  chiefly  from  Protestant  missionaries.  Catholic 
missionaries  were  strangely  silent.  Two  methods  were 
employed  to  get  rid  of  these  Protestant  nuisances,  which 
resulted  in  marked  advantages  to  the  Catholics.  One 
was  to  refuse  concessions  of  land  to  Protestant  Missions. 
The  other  was  to  crowd  them  out  wherever  possible. 
During  a  period  of  thirteen  years  six  applications  for 
small  grants  of  land  were  denied  us.  In  two  instances 
the  very  places  we  requested  were  given  to  the  Catholics. 
Even  to-day  such  grants  are  exceedingly  difficult  to 
obtain.     Witness  our  expulsion  from  Mbua  Matumba. 


A    GROWING    WORK  IO9 

In  the  Kasai  the  situation  has  been  growing  more  acute 
each  year.  Three  attacks  by  Catholics  have  been  made 
on  our  missionaries,  with  no  redress  given  yet.  In  many 
instances  Protestant  chapels  have  been  burned  or  torn 
down.  Sometimes  villages  attached  to  us  have  been  re- 
moved without  any  apparent  reason,  and  their  lands 
given  to  Catholics.  In  regard  to  the  succession  of  chiefs, 
it  seems  that  only  Catholic  claimants  consistently  in- 
herit, provided  of  course  there  is  a  Catholic  litigant. 
Many  of  our  adherents  have  been  actually  deported  from 
Luebo.  Some  have  been  sent  into  exile  because  of  their 
Protestant  affiliations.  Solemn  assurances  of  justice 
made  by  one  administration,  are  readily  broken  by  the 
next  one.  This  combination  is  in  the  face  of  the  princi- 
ples upon  which  the  Congo  Free  State  came  into  being. 
The  sixth  article  of  the  Constitution  of  the  State  im- 
posed the  duty  of  "without  distinction  of  creed  or  nation, 
protecting  and  favoring  all  religious  .  .  .  institutions 
and  undertakings  .  .  .  which  aim  at  instructing  the 
natives  and  bringing  home  to  them  the  blessings  of 
civilization.  Freedom  of  conscience  and  religious  tolera- 
tion are  expressly  guaranteed  to  the  natives,  no  less  than 
to  subjects  and  foreigners;  and  the  free  exercise  of  all 
forms  of  divine  worship,  and  the  right  to  build  edifices 
for  religious  purposes,  and  to  organize  religious  Missions 
to  all  creeds,  shall  not  be  limited  or  fettered  in  any  way 
whatsoever."  This  is  the  law.  But,  as  concerns  us,  it 
has  been  violated  more  than  it  has  been  upheld.  Our 
work  is  seriously  threatened  and  we  look  to  the  future 
with  anxious  fears.  We  ask  for  neither  special  privileges 
nor  favors,  but  for  a  just  interpretation  and  administra- 
tion of  the  laws  and  treaties  of  the  Colony.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  there  is  no  American  Consul  in  the  Congo 
to  whom  these  injustices  might  be  referred. 

Inadequate  Force  and  Equipment. — The  greatest  ob- 
stacle to  growth  has  been  the  lack  of  an  adequate  staff 


IIO      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

and  equipment.  The  Catholic  missionaries  outnumber 
us  two  to  one,  while  their  equipment  is  magnificent.  As 
one  reads  the  records  of  this  fruitful  Mission,  he  is  touch- 
ed with  the  frequency  and  urgency  of  the  pathetic  appeals 
for  more  workers.  Since  its  founding  there  has  been 
never  more  than  half  the  force  required.  A  tropical 
climate,  necessitating  frequent  furloughs,  decreases  the 
efficiency  of  the  working  force  by  at  least  one-third. 
Under  the  inspiration  of  the  Laymen's  Missionary  Con- 
vention, in  1912,  a  movement  was  started  for  the  com- 
plete equipment  of  the  African  Mission  in  men  and 
women.  During  that  year  seventeen  recruits  were  sent 
out.  Others  have  followed.  Believing  that  the  full 
quota  was  in  sight,  the  Mission  with  high  hope  and  great 
joy  laid  plans  for  the  full  occupation  of  the  field.  Mutoto, 
Lusambo,  South  Luebo,  Bulape,  and  Bibangu  were  open- 
ed in  rapid  succession.  Two  more  stations  in  the  Ba- 
luba  country  were  projected.  Alas,  the  future  was  veiled 
and  we  could  not  foresee  the  heavy  losses  that  were  to 
follow.  Since  1912  we  have  lost  twenty  from  our  force, 
two  by  death,  three  by  retirement,  and  fifteen  by  resig- 
nation for  various  reasons.  In  March,  1920,  the  staff 
numbered  exactly  what  it  was  seven  years  ago.  Last 
year  Lusambo  was  held  by  a  Methodist  layman;  Biban- 
gu, Mutoto  and  Bulape  were  reduced  by  one-half;  South 
Luebo  had  no  resident  missionary.  If  we  can  have  and 
maintain  a  force  of  fifty  units,  excluding  wives,  we  have 
the  reasonable  expectation  of  completing,  under  God's 
blessings,  the  evangelization  of  our  field.  This  means  the 
addition  to  our  present  staff  of  approximately  fifty-three 
men  and  women.  A  movement  is  under  way  by  the 
women  of  the  Church  to  equip  the  Mission  with  per- 
manent residences  for  missionaries.  But  there  remain 
hospitals,  dormitories,  church  buildings,  agricultural  and 
industrial  equipment  to  be  furnished. 


A   GROWING    WORK  III 

Rev.  W.  M.  Morrison,  D.  D. — The  death,  on  March 
14,  1918,  of  this  beloved  leader  was  the  greatest  material 
loss  the  Mission  has  ever  suffered.  Reference  has  been 
made  to  his  great  labors  in  the  field  of  literature.  Per- 
haps no  better  summing  up  of  his  life  and  work  can  be 
given  than  this  beautiful  tribute  from  the  pen  of  Bishop 
W.  R.  Lambuth,  D.  D. 

"In  the  death  of  William  Morrison,  Africa  has  lost 
one  of  its  great  missionaries.  He  was  easily  the  peer  of 
any  man  who  prayed  and  wrought  for  the  evangelization 
of  the  dark  continent  ....  The  chief  characteristics  of 
this  great  leader  were  those  of  magnificent  courage,  ten- 
der-heartedness, rare  tact  in  dealing  with  savage  tribes, 
sound  judgment,  tireless  industry,  genuine  love  for  the 
native,  a  prayer  life  of  great  power  and  a  deathless  loy- 
alty to  Christ There  is  a  vigor  about  this  lusty 

young  mission,  however,  an  air  of  progressiveness  and 
a  statesmanlike  quality  in  all  its  plans,  that  synchronize 
with  the  life  and  administration  labors  of  the  man  who 
gave  twenty-one  years  of  unremitting  toil  and  sacrifice 
to  build  it  up.  William  Morrison  died  young.  He  was 
not  fifty-one.     But  he  lived  much." 

May  the  stirring  words  which  came  from  the  yearn- 
ing heart  of  Dr.  Morrison  sink  deep  into  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  Church,  moving  her  to  labor  more  earnestly 
to  accomplish  the  end  for  which  he  toiled,  prayed  and 
died: 

"In  Africa  the  hearts  of  the  people  are  wonderfully 
opened  and  prepared  of  God  for  the  reception  of  the 
gospel;  in  America  our  Southern  Presbyterian  Church 
has  its  heart  peculiarly  warmed  toward  the  African  Mis- 
sion. Is  not  this  providential?  Shall  not  these  two  yearn- 
ings meet  in  producing,  under  God's  blessing,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  missions  in  the  world?  Is  not  this 
worth  working  for  and  praying  for?" 


The  Happy  Father  of  one  of  the  best  Native  Evangelists 

at  Luebo 


CHAPTER  IV. 

M  Jfruitfurcfturcl) 


CHAPTER  IV. 

&  Jfruitful  Cfjurcij 

i.    Self  Propagation. 

(i)     Witnessing. 

a.  Testimonies. 

b.  Evangelistic   Centers. 

c.  Voluntary   Workers. 

d.  A   Bakuba  Lad. 

e.  A  Paralytic. 

(2)     The  Regions  Beyond. 

a.  The  Mennonites. 

b.  The  Methodists. 

2.  Self-Government. 

(1)  Expert  Testimony. 

(2)  Influence  of  Dr.   Morrison. 

(3)  Elders  and  Deacons. 

(4)  Superintendents. 

(5)  Ordained  Pastors. 

(6)  Conferences. 

3.  Self-Support. 

(1)  Difficulties. 

a.  Poverty. 

b.  Lack  of  Currency. 

c.  Lack  of  Markets. 

d.  Insufficient  Instruction. 

(2)  Achievements. 

a.  Organized  Churches. 

b.  Tithing. 

c.  Out-stations. 

d.  A  Concrete  Illustration. 

4.  Endurance. 

(1)  Persecution  by  Parents. 

(2)  Persecution  by  Chiefs. 

(3)  Persecution  by  Government. 

5.  Prayer. 

(1)  Everybody  Prays. 

(2)  Sunrise  Meetings. 

(3)  Prayer  and  Fasting. 

(4)  Trusting  the  Spirit. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

&  Jfruitful  Cfcurti) 

It  is  recognized  by  the  missions  of  the  world  that 
the  missionary  should  not  be  the  pastor  of  the  Church. 
The  native  must  be.  We  are  not  founding  in  the  Congo 
a  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  but  are  setting  our 
faces  toward  giving  to  the  native  Christian  body  a  sepa- 
rate corporate  existence  with  all  the  machinery  necessary 
for  carrying  on  its  work.  Certainly  the  missionary  may 
need  to  remain  here  many  years  in  order  to  train  and 
direct  in  its  early  stages  the  native  Church,  but  ultimate- 
ly he  must  and  ought  to  withdraw.  As  an  outcome  of 
the  harmony  and  co-operation  existing  between  the  mis- 
sionary societies  in  the  Congo,  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  time  will  come  when  the  native  Churches 
now  being  organized  under  the  different  societies  will  be 
united  in  a  corporate  whole,  as  is  being  already  done  in 
Japan  and  other  mission  fields.  All  the  time  we  have 
kept  before  us  the  definite  aim  to  try  to  produce  a  self- 
propagating,  self-governing  and  self-supporting  native 
Church  with  a  distinct  autonomy.  The  measure  of  suc- 
cess attained  will  be  indicated  in  this  chapter. 

SELF-PROPAGATION. 

Witness  Bearing. — "The  thrill  that  comes  with  the 
privilege  of  sounding  out  the  Word  of  the  Lord!  That 
Word  has  been  sounded  out  from  Luebo  along  forest 
paths,  through  open  veldts,  in  hundreds  of  villages  and 
in  the  ears  of  tens  of  thousands  of  people  who  had  never 
heard  the  Glad  Tidings.  Our  party  of  eight  have  been 
inspired  and  our  faith  greatly  strengthened  by  what  we 
have  seen  and  heard  of  the  wonderful  work  our  Presby- 
terian brethren  have  under  God  been  enabled  to  do." — 
Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth.    This  sounding  out  of  the  gos- 


I  10      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

pel  message  has  been  done  chiefly  by  the  native  Chris- 
tians. Indeed,  the  most  distinctive  feature  of  the  Church 
is  its  witness  bearing  character.  From  the  beginning 
we  have  tried  to  impress  on  all  the  sphere  of  our  Mis- 
sion the  responsibility,  as  well  as  the  duty,  of  propagat- 
ing the  gospel.  But  the  main  pioneering  of  the  gospel 
has  been  done  by  individuals  of  the  native  Church.  They 
have  had  to  interest  the  villages  and  chiefs  before  they 
became  willing  to  ask  for  evangelists.  Reference  has 
been  made  to  the  indisposition  of  the  early  converts  to 
witness  for  Christ  and  the  thrusting  out  of  the  first  evan- 
gelists by  the  agonizing  prayers  of  the  missionaries. 
But  when  once  the  idea  of  individual  responsibility  be- 
came rooted,  the  problem  was  solved. 

Testimonies. — While  it  is  not  claimed  that  every 
Church  member  is  on  fire  to  spread  the  tidings,  yet  a  great 
many  are  filled  with  true  evangelistic  fervor.  Through 
the  latter  the  gospel  has  spread  everywhere  like  a  great 
forest  fire.  It  has  run  so  fast  we  have  been  unable  to 
keep  pace  with  it.  Several  years  ago  missionaries  on 
the  Lualaba  river  found  native  Christians  from  Luebo 
singing  hymns  and  doing  personal  work.  They  wrote 
of  this  to  encourage  us.  From  up  the  Kwilu  river,  seven 
hundred  miles  west  of  Luebo,  a  missionary  of  the  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Society  wrote  that  the  Baluba  had  crowded 
into  that  section  and  had  pressed  into  service  as  their 
spiritual  guide  a  former  worker  of  the  Kasai  Rubber 
Company  and  a  member  of  Luebo  Church.  Rev.  John 
Howell,  of  the  English  Baptist  Mission  at  Kinshasa,  is 
quoted  as  saying,  "There  is  no  tribe  in  the  Congo,  with 
the  possible  exception  of  a  small  tribe  at  Yakusu,  that 
approaches  your  Baluba  in  their  enthusiastic  singing." 
Government  officials,  steamer  captains,  and  traders  all 
along  the  rivers  have  testified  that  our  converts  conduct 
their  prayer  meetings  every  morning.  Herr  Frobenius, 
scientist  and  explorer,  when  touring  through  the  Kasai 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  1 17 

section,  said  that  one  of  the  most  remarkable  things  about 
his  caravan  was  that  each  morning,  each  Sunday  and 
Wednesday  night,  there  was  always  a  prayer  meeting. 
Evangelistic  Centers. — It  has  been  impossible  to  train 
teachers  fast  enough  to  meet  all  demands.  It  has  been 
our  policy  to  send  an  evangelist  not  to  a  village,  but  to 
a  vicinity  or  section.  Naturally  he  begins  his  work  in 
the  village  where  he  resides,  but  he  is  responsible  for 
every  village  within  a  reasonable  radius.  First,  he  starts 
a  catechumen  class  and  daily  evangelistic  services.  Next, 
he  chooses  a  number  of  promising  young  men  whom  he 
instructs  thoroughly  and  then  sends  to  the  neighboring 
villages  to  impart  their  knowledge.  Thus  each  outsta- 
tion  is  a  center  from  which  the  gospel  light  radiates  in 
every  direction.  For  example,  take  the  village  of  Kalom- 
bo  near  Luluaburg.  It  has  the  reputation  of  being  the 
most  thoroughly  Christian  village  in  all  our  territory. 
The  Church  membership  is  over  four  hundred,  the  ma- 
jority of  whom  are  enthusiastic  personal  workers.  The 
chief  is  a  convert,  being  one  of  the  first  men  in  that  sec- 
tion to  abandon  his  plural  wives  and  to  adopt  the  Chris- 
tian marriage.  The  leading  men  of  the  village  have  fol- 
lowed his  example.  From  this  congregation  there  have 
been  trained  and  sent  out  five  evangelists  who  are  sup- 
ported by  them  and  six  who  receive  their  pay  from  the 
Mission.  Twelve  others  are  under  training,  being  en- 
gaged in  the  local  work. 

Voluntary  Teachers,  Bajikile. — In  no  way  is  the  wit- 
nessing of  the  Church  better  illustrated  than  in  the  work 
of  the  young  men  who  go  forth  to  blaze  the  Christian 
trail  without  remuneration  from  the  Mission.  The  rapid 
spread  of  the  gospel  is  due  to  these  voluntary  workers 
more  than  to  any  others.  Bajikile,  now  an  honored  elder 
of  the  Luebo  Church,  was  really  the  founder  of  the  re- 
markable work,  just  described,  in  Kalombo's  village.  One 
day,  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  he  first  heard  of  Christ 


I  iS      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE    GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

from  the  lip  of  an  itinerating  missionary.  The  Spirit 
sent  the  message  home  to  his  heart.  He  began  to  pray 
for  more  light.  He  learned  to  read  and  write  from  chil- 
dren who  had  been  taught  by  some  outstation  evangelist. 
Then  he  began  to  travel  from  place  to  place  aflame  with 
his  message  of  redeeming  love.  During  four  years  he 
carried  on  an  independent,  self-supporting  work.  Six 
times  he  walked  the  one  hundred  miles  to  Luebo  to  ask 
for  an  evangelist.  Five  times  he  was  disappointed,  but 
on  the  sixth  trip  a  young  teacher  was  given  to  him.  While 
waiting  for  an  assistant,  he  made  five  evangelistic  itin- 
eraries of  from  three  to  five  months  each,  paying  his 
own  expenses,  and  laying  the  foundation  for  the  great 
work  now  being  carried  on  by  seven  missionaries  in  the 
Mutoto  field.  Bajikile  was  the  first  Christian  in  that 
section  and  was  the  human  instrument  of  bringing  the 
gospel  for  the  first  time  to  the  knowledge  of  thousands. 
His  missionary  labors  soon  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  Mission  and  he  was  employed  as  a  regular  evangel- 
ist. He  has  been  faithful  to  every  trust  and  high  honors 
have  served  only  to  deepen  his  spirit  of  humility. 

A  Bakuba  Lad. — Rev.  H.  M.  Washburn  tells  the  story 
of  a  fourteen  year  old  lad  in  a  Bakuba  village  who  be- 
came interested  in  the  gospel  as  told  to  him  by  an  evan- 
gelist. He  felt  that  he  must  acquaint  the  people  of  his 
own  village  with  this  good  news.  At  this  time  all  the 
knowledge  he  had  was  the  Lord's  Prayer,  two  verses, 
and  the  chorus  of  one  hymn,  one  verse  and  chorus  of 
another  hymn,  and  four  questions  of  the  Catechism.  Af- 
ter teaching  these  in  his  village  he  went  to  another  and 
another  until  he  had  opened  up  nine  preaching  places ! 

Job  Lukumwena,  the  Paralytic. — This  young  man 
was  of  quite  a  different  type.  He  was  discovered,  friend- 
less and  destitute,  in  a  village  near  Luebo.  Miss  Fair, 
the  nurse,  took  him  under  her  special  care.  Soon  there 
was  developed  in  him  a  passionate  desire  to  win  souls  to 


A    FRUITFUL   CHURCH  119 

Christ.  Unable  to  walk,  he  determined  to  devote  his 
time  to  prayer  and  personal  work  through  letters.  His 
strong  message  carried  cheer  and  courage  to  many  evan- 
gelists in  lonely  outstations.  Even  the  missionaries  came 
to  feel  the  power  of  his  dedicated  life,  and  often  went  to 
pray  with  him  about  the  work.  His  letters  have  touched 
hearts  in  America.  He  corresponded  with  the  boys  of  a 
Colored  Sunday  School  Class  in  a  West  Virginia  town. 
The  burden  of  each  message  was,  "I  am  praying  for 
you,  pray  for  us."  He  suffered  much,  but  was  very  pa- 
tient. Before  his  death  in  1918  of  influenza  he  had  form- 
ed the  custom  of  calling  in  small  groups  of  young  men 
in  the  community  to  talk  and  pray  with  him.  After  his 
death  these  young  men  were  filled  with  a  desire  to  carry 
on  his  work  and  an  organization  was  perfected  along 
the  lines  of  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Their  open  air  meetings  have 
an  average  attendance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Head- 
quarters are  in  Lukumwena's  old  home.  The  mission- 
aries meet  with  them  from  time  to  time,  giving  talks  on 
riligious  themes.  Already  six  of  their  number  have  gone 
out  as  evangelists  and  ten  others  are  engaged  as  secular 
teachers.  Thus  is  being  perpetuated  the  influence  of  his 
life. 

The  Regions  Beyond. — The  spirit  of  evangelism  has 
found  expression  in  the  willingness  of  many  Christians, 
especially  evangelists,  to  proclaim  the  gospel  news  be- 
yond the  borders  of  their  own  tribes.  For  instance,  the 
progress  made  with  the  Bakete,  the  Zappo-zaps,  and  the 
pioneering  work  among  the  Bakuba,  is  due  to  the  mis- 
sionary activities  of  Baluba  and  Lulua  evangelists.  Sim- 
ilar work  is  being  conducted  among  isolated  villages  of 
Batetela,  Basonge  and  other  tribes.  Often  these  heralds 
of  the  Cross  have  gone  hundreds  of  miles  from  their 
homes  to  labor  among  a  strange  people. 

In  191 1  the  Mennonite  Church  of  America  established 
the  Congo  Inland  Mission  at  Djoka  Punda  some  sev- 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  121 

enty  miles  southwest  of  Luebo.  The  territory  between 
the  Luebo  and  Kasai  rivers,  which  formerly  had  been 
included  in  our  sphere,  containing  a  large  Baluba-Lulua 
population,  was  turned  over  to  this  new  society.  In 
1915  this  mission  organized  its  native  Church  with  two 
of  its  own  converts  and  ten  members  received  by  letter 
from  our  Luebo  Church. 

In  a  similar  manner  in  1914  Bishop  Lambuth  founded 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission  at  Wembo  Nia- 
ma,  organizing  the  native  Church  with  two  evangelists 
and  thirteen  other  members  received  by  letter  from  Lu- 
ebo. These  men,  with  their  wives  and  children,  volun- 
teered to  leave  their  homes,  friends  and  the  advantages 
they  were  enjoying  at  Luebo  in  order  to  help  "sound  out 
the  Word  of  the  Lord"  in  a  virgin  territory.  This  is  an 
illustration  of  missionary  comity  on  the  part  of  both 
the  native  Christians  and  our  Mission.  The  Methodists 
and  the  Mennonites  entered  these  fields  on  our  urgent 
invitations. 

SELF-GOVERNMENT. 

As  we  occupy  an  isolated  part  of  the  Congo,  very 
few  outsiders  have  found  their  way  to  Luebo.  The  fea- 
ture of  our  work  which  seems  to  have  impressed  most 
the  occasional  visitors  is  the  progress  made  along  the 
line  of  Church  government.  Rev.  J.  R.  M.  Stevens,  once 
a  missionary  in  the  Congo,  now  the  Secretary  of  the 
Young  People's  Work  of  the  English  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  visited  Luebo  in  1915.  He  afterwards  wrote: 
"I  rejoice  greatly  at  the  wonderful  spiritual  harvest 
which  has  been  reaped  since  the  work  commenced,  and 
as  far  as  I  could  judge  the  methods  employed  have  been 
very  sound.  The  development  of  Church  government 
much  impressed  me.  I  know  of  no  other  mission  [in  the 
Congo]  where  such  progress  in  this  direction  has  been 
made." 


122      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Dr.  Morrison's  Influence. — The  development  of  the 
infant  Church  towards  self-government  is  due  to  Dr. 
Morrison  more  than  to  any  other.  He  saw  clearly  the 
deficiency  of  the  African  mind  in  powers  of  initiative, 
organization,  system,  and  method ;  that  "it  is  a  race  that 
imitates  rather  than  originates,  which  prefers  ruts  and 
routine  to  newer  paths  that  might  lead  to  higher  and 
better  planes  of  service  and  efficiency."  Therefore  he 
believed  it  to  be  a  fundamental  principle  that  the  Mis- 
sion "should  begin  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  con- 
sistent with  spiritual  attainments  and  power,  to  lay  on 
the  infant  Church  the  responsibility  which  naturally 
grows  out  of  an  active  participation  in  Christian  experi- 
ence and  activity,  and  along  with  this  ever-increasing 
responsibility  there  should  grow  a  corresponding  in- 
crease in  power  and  authority."  He  believed  it  better 
to  fail  over  and  over  rather  than  to  keep  the  Church  ii 
its  "swaddling  clothes,  retarding  its  development  and  at 
the  same  time  losing  for  the  cause  of  Christ  the  service 
which  it  could  have  rendered  sometimes  perhaps  much 
better  than  we  ourselves."  It  was  this  clear-visioned  man 
of  faith  who  organized  in  1900  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society.  His  whole  object  was  to  develop  initiative  and 
confidence  in  the  timid  converts,  and  out  of  this  society 
grew  the  splendid  body  of  native  evangelists  now  scat- 
tered all  over  our  vast  territory. 

Elders  and  Deacons. — In  1907  the  first  officers,  five 
elders  and  six  deacons,  were  choson  by  the  native  Church. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  our  turning  over  to  the  na- 
tive Christians  the  management  of  the  internal  affairs 
of  the  Church.  Many  others  have  since  been  ordained 
and  set  apart  for  the  work.  These  men,  for  the  most 
part,  live  at,  or  near,  the  Mission  Stations,  so  that  they 
can  be  better  trained.  Little  by  little  they  have  been 
advanced  in  power  until  today  they  have  charge,  under 
the  seprvision  of  the  missionaries,  of  the  whole  spirit- 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  123 

ual  welfare  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  its  evangelistic  ef- 
forts. The  elders  have  power  to  comfort,  to  admionish, 
to  warn,  to  discipline  and  to  restore  to  fellowship  any 
who  may  have  been  temporarily  cut  off.  They  superin- 
tend the  instruction  of  the  Catechumen  and  are  largely 
responsible  for  the  examination  of  those  seeking  Church 
membership.  They  supervise  the  work  of  the  younger 
teachers  and  evangelists  while  under  training  at  the 
Central  Stations.  They  also  visit  at  intervals  the  outsta- 
tions,  overseeing  the  evangelists,  settling  disputes,  en- 
couraging and  stimulating  the  Church  members.  The 
elders  live  in  different  sections  of  the  village  and  have 
the  implicit  obedience  of  the  people.  While  their  au- 
thority extends  only  to  Church  members,  yet  in  many 
instances  because  of  their  dominant  personalities  others 
voluntarily  come  to  them  for  the  settling  of  their  disputes. 
They  are  in  session  for  a  while  every  day  to  consider 
any  problem's  which  may  arise.  Once  a  week  they  meet 
in  consultation  with  the  missionaries  to  review  their 
work.  A  Luebo  missionary  said  that  during  two  years 
he  did  not  reverse  but  one  decision  made  by  the  elders 
and  afterwards  regretted  having  done  it. 

The  deacons  have  oversight  of  the  more  material 
side  of  the  work.  They  superintend  the  collections,  take 
charge  of  the  funds  and,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
missionaries,  distribute  these  funds  wherever  needed. 
Naturally  they  look  after  the  poor  and  sick.  Now  that 
the  people  are  coming  to  understai  \  more  and  more  the 
duties  of  these  elders  and  deacons,  we  propose  to  select 
in  the  outstations,  where  there  is  a  group  of  Christians, 
"pupil"  elders  and  "pupil"  deacons,  from  whom  will  come 
the  future  officers  of  the  Church. 

Superintendents. — Each  Mission  Station  has  its  out- 
station  territory  divided  into  districts.  Within  the  dis- 
trict each  evangelist  has  a  group  of  villages.  Over  each 
district  there  is  a  superintendent  who  is  responsible  for 


124      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

the  entire  work  of  his  section.  Usually  his  headquarters 
are  in  a  central  village,  but  he  is  travelling  constantly, 
aiding  and  instructing  the  teachers  and  evangelists,  and 
keeping  them  in  touch  with  the  elders  and  missionaries. 
When  an  elder  or  a  missionary  enters  his  district  the 
superintendent  must  meet  him  at  the  border  and  person- 
ally conduct  him  wherever  he  may  wish  to  go.  Some  of 
these  men  are  elders,  but  the  majority  are  picked  men 
from  the  regular  evangelistic  force. 

First  Native  Pastors. — In  1916  three  elders  of  marked 
ability  and  long  standing  were  ordained  and  set  apart 
to  the  full  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  These  men,  in 
consultation  with  an  elder  and  a  local  evangelist,  can 
constitute  a  court  capable  of  performing  every  duty  of 
the  missionary.  They  may  baptize,  discipline,  adminis- 
ter the  Lord's  Supper  and  arrange  all  Church  questions. 
Moreover,  these  native  pastors  can  go  into  places  almost 
inaccessible  to  the  missionary.  More  and  more  they  are 
taking  over  the  work  of  itineration. 

Kabeya  Lukengu. — This  pastor  was  born  and  reared 
in  the  large  Baluba  village  of  Mutombo  Katshi,  300  miles 
east  of  Luebo,  and  a  few  miles  from  Bibangu,  amid  all  the 
heathen  customs  common  to  the  place,  including  inter- 
tribal warfare.  While  on  a  visit  to  the  famous  tyrant, 
Pania  Mutombo,  to  exchange  a  slave  for  a  gun,  he  was 
captured  by  the  State  and  conscripted  as  a  soldier.  Af- 
ter spending  several  years  in  the  Bakuba  Kingdom  in 
the  employ  of  a  rubber  trader,  we  find  him  established 
in  a  small  Baluba  village  in  the  Lulua  territory.  Here 
he  came  first  in  contact  with  Luebo  avangelists.  Finally 
he  secured  a  position  as  head-man  with  a  white  trader 
at  Luebo  at  a  very  remunerative  salary.  He  became 
deeply  interested  in  the  gospel,  then  an  enquirer  and  at 
last  a  convert.  After  being  tested  as  a  personal  worker 
and  voluntary  teacher,  he  was  admitted  to  the  work  of 
an    evangelist.     When   the   notorious    Zappo-zap    asked 


A    FRUITFUL   CHURCH 


12? 


for  a  teacher,  Kabeya  volunteered  to  go.  He  served  here 
faithfully  for  two  years  when  he  was  recalled  and  made 
an  elder,  being  one  of  the  first  five  chosen  by  the  native 
Church.  He  next  became  the  superintendent  of  a  large 
section  of  the  Luebo  territory.  He  has  served  with  great 
ability  wherever  placed.  He  is  a  gifted  preacher,  pos- 
sessing a  remarkable  understanding  of  the  Bible  and  un- 
usual originality  in  its  application.  He  has  scores  of 
friends  in  every  village,  especially  among  the  children. 
As  the  pastor  of  10,000  Church  members,  he  is  a  tireless 
worker.  One  of  the  older  missionaries  said  that  Kabeya 
Lukengu  is  of  more  value  to  the  work  than  any  member 
of  the  Mission. 


Musonguela,  the  second  pastor,  was  reared  in  a 
village  near  that  of  Kabeya  Lukengu.  He  early  dis- 
played those  qualities  of  leadership  which  have  thrust 
him  to  the  front  in  the  Church.  The  instincts  of  the 
warrior  led  him  to  become  a  soldier  of  the  State.  It 
was  during  this  period  that  he  avenged  the  death  of  an 
uncle  by  waylaying  five  persons  from  the  village  of  the 


126      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

murderer.  He  killed  two  of  them  with  his  rifle,  selling 
the  other  three  into  slavery.  According  to  native  custom 
it  was  his  duty  to  retaliate  in  this  manner,  but  his  act 
made  him  liable  to  similar  treatment  at  the  hands  of  his 
enemies.  Finishing  his  term  as  a  soldier,  he  engaged 
his  services  to  a  Luebo  trader.  There,  as  in  the  case 
of  Kabeya,  he  was  convicted  of  sin,  gave  up  his  lucra- 
tive position  and  became  a  Christian.  Soon  he  was  wit- 
nessing a  mighty  fruitage  in  an  outstation.  Under  his 
consecrated  ministry  the  entire  village  was  changed,  all 
fetishes  and  idols  were  burned,  and  some  three  hundred 
converts  were  won,  among  them  the  grey  haired  chief. 
Next,  he  became  superintendent  of  an  unlimited  territory 
beyond  Mutoto.  During  two  years  he  travelled,  preached 
and  suffered  with  true  Pauline  fervor.  He  gave  away 
>U  his  salt  (rations),  making  his  living  pulling  teeth 
with  a  pair  of  forceps  given  him  by  a  missionary.  He 
opened  many  villages  to  the  gospel.  At  the  organization 
of  the  Mutoto  Church  in  1912,  Musonguela  was  ordained 
to  the  eldership.  The  next  year  he  was  transferred  to 
Lusambo,  where  he  has  since  resided.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  after  his  conversion  he  redeemed  the  three 
persons  he  had  enslaved  and  fearlessly  preached  the  gos- 
pel in  their  village  with  the  result  that  they  and  the 
young  chief  were  converted  and  received  into  the  Church 
by  the  very  man  whom  they  had  sworn  to  slay !  For  five 
years  he  has  been  the  efficient  pastor  of  the  Lusambo 
Church  which,  under  his  leadership,  is  making  wonderful 
strides  towards  self-support.  He  is  very  quiet  and  un- 
assuming in  manner.  Patience,  tact,  and  humility  are 
blended  in  his  character.  The  people  love  him.  The 
missionaries  depend  on  him. 

Kachunga. — The  third  man,  is  in  many  respects  the 
superior  of  the  other  two.  But,  strange  to  say,  he  has 
proven  a  disappointment.  From  the  same  village  as 
Kabeya,  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  slave  raiders  when 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  12J 

yet  a  small  boy.  The  price  for  his  freedom  was  given 
by  a  Virginia  lady.  He  was  very  bright.  After  his  con- 
version he  showed  an  aptitude  for  translation  work.  He 
became  the  helper  of  Dr.  Morrison  and  accompanied 
him  to  America  to  assist  in  the  completion  of  the  Dic- 
tionary and  Grammar  of  the  Buluba-Lulua  language. 
Later  he  was  ordained  an  elder.  He  is  unusually  intelli- 
gent and  a  strong  preacher.  Unlike  the  other  two  pas- 
tors Kachunga  is  very  proud,  and  pride  caused  his  down- 
fall. Whether  it  was  his  elevation  to  high  office,  or  his 
distaste  for  working  with  younger  missionaries  after 
having  been  associated  so  long  with  Dr.  Morrison,  he 
developed  soon  after  his  ordination  a  spirit  of  insubordi- 
nation to  Mission  authority,  which  unhappily  affected 
a  number  of  evangelists.  The  Mission  acted  promptly 
in  reducing  him  to  the  rank  of  an  ordinary  evangelist. 
He  accepted  the  disgrace  with  more  meekness  than  was 
anticipated  and  requested  that  he  might  be  permitted 
to  return  to  his  boyhood  home,  Mutombo  Katshi,  labor- 
ing without  pay  until  he  had  retrieved  his  mistake.  This 
was  granted.  Chastened  in  spirit  he  went  into  that 
heathen  village,  with  its  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
is  doing  a  splendid  work.  It  is  predicted  that  his  rein- 
statement as  a  pastor  will  take  place  soon.  His  defec- 
tion by  no  means  discourages  us  in  the  determination  to 
set  apart  other  men  as  fast  as  they  show  ability  for  leader- 
ship. There  is  some  splendid  material.  On  the  other 
hand,  his  experience  will  doubtless  have  a  salutary  effect 
on  the  entire  Church. 

Conferences. — "At  each  station  are  gathered  annually, 
sometimes  oftener,  all  the  evangelists  and  teachers,  to- 
gether with  some  of  the  chiefs  and  prominent  men  who 
are  believers,  for  a  conference  of  several  days,  where 
problems  are  discussed,  mistakes  corected,  and  a  renewed 
inspiration  given.  So  far  as  we  can  see,  there  remains 
but  on  step  to  be  taken,  and  that  is  the  calling  of  stated 


128      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

meetings  of  all  the  pastors  and  elders  from  their  widely 
scattered  sections  of  the  entire  field,  the  constituting  of 
them  into  a  court  for  the  consideration  of  the  larger 
questions  affecting  the  whole  work,  thus  bringing  about 
a  unity  of  action  and  harmony  of  purpose  in  all  the 
parts." — Dr.  Morrison.  This  step  is  soon  to  be  taken. 
The  Mission  in  919  requested  the  home  Church,  through 
the  Executive  Committee  of  Foreign  Misions,  to  sanc- 
tion the  formation  of  a  native  African  Presbytery.  This 
outlook  fills  us  with  joy  and  hope. 

SELF-SUPPORT 

Self-support  should  advance  with  self-control.  As 
more  authority  is  placed  in  the  natives'  hands,  they 
should  assume  more  responsibility  financially.  When  we 
consider  that  in  our  best  year  19,206  Church  members 
gave  only  $2,228.00,  or  about  twelve  cents  per  capita,  it 
may  appear  that  we  are  far  from  our  goal  of  a  self-sup- 
porting Church,  but  when  one  understands  the  almost  in- 
superable obstacles,  when  one  sees  the  willingness  of  the 
people  and  the  actual  results,  he  will  perceive  that  the 
grace  of  giving  is  being  developed  more  rapidly  than  the 
statistics  seem  to  indicate.  Tndeed,  it  will  be  seen  that 
in  this  respect  the  Church  is  becoming  more  fruitful  each 
year. 

DIFFICULTIES 

Poverty. — One  cannot  give  what  one  does  not  pos- 
sess. The  natives  live  in  mud  huts,  as  a  rule,  averaging 
10x12  feet  in  size,  with  thatch  roofs.  They  possess  practi- 
cally no  furniture.  Many  eat  but  once  a  day.  The  crops 
are  small.  Many  do  not  produce  sufficient  food  to  keep 
the  wolf  from  the  door  during  the  famine  months  of  the 
dry  season.  They  are  improvident.  Children  go  naked 
and  adults  are  satisfied  with  a  simple  loin  cloth.  Banks 
and  savings  accounts  are  unknown.  A  few  chickens,  a 
goat,  several  earthen  pots,  and  the  nearby  field  consti- 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  129 

tute  the  wealth  of  the  average  family.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  the  richest  man  within  the  native  Church  is  not 
worth  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  in  American  cur- 
rency. It  is  difficult  for  him  to  hold  that,  since  his  friends 
and  relatives  are  constantly  imposing  on  him.  They 
never  refuse  a  fellow-tribesman  a  loan.  Consequently 
they  are  eternally  in  debt.  Wages  are  low,  the  average 
being  about  two  dollars  per  month.  The  highest  paid 
man  in  the  employ  of  the  church  receives  four  dollars 
per  month. 

No  Generally  Accepted  Currency. — A  second  difficulty 
is  the  lack  of  a  generally  accepted  currency.  The  people 
give  liberally  of  their  foodstuffs,  corn,  millet,  potatoes, 
cassava  roots,  but  these  have  very  small  purchasing 
power.  For  example,  a  bushel  of  corn,  in  the  Lusambo 
outstations,  used  to  sell  for  four  cents.  We  have  often 
bought  a  bunch  of  bananas  for  ten  cents.  Around  white 
centers  the  Government  is  succeeding  in  introducing 
the  Belgian  currency,  but  in  the  interior  the  natives  are 
slow  to  adopt  it.  For  a  while  at  Lusambo  the  people 
would  not  accept  the  ten  centime  (two  cent)  pieces,  and 
at  Mutoto  they  rejected  the  twenty  centime  (four  cent) 
pieces.  Whe  have  known  them  to  exchange  two  franc 
(forty  cents)  coins  for  one  franc  coins,  not  realizing  the 
double  value  of  the  former. 
No  Good  Markets. — A  third  difficulty  lies  in  the  lack 
of  markets  for  perishable  goods.  The  people  claim  that 
they  cannot  sell  all  that  they  now  raise.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  rice,  which  very  few  natives  raise,  practically 
no  food  is  as  yet  being  exported  by  the  Colony.  Ivory 
and  rubber,  which  once  brought  a  little  gain  to  the  na- 
tive, are  about  exhausted.  The  products  of  the  palm 
tree,  nuts  and  oils,  are  purchased  for  a  song  by  the  trad- 
ers. Coupled  with  the  lack  of  markets  are  the  poor 
transportation  facilities.  Every  ounce  of  produce  must 
be  ported  on  the  head,  or  back,  to  the  rivers.  This  is  a 
strong  deterrent  to  large  production. 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  I3I 

The  Wealth  of  the  White  Man.— A  fourth  difficulty  is 
the  apparent  wealth  of  the  white  man.  He  lives  in  a 
house  ten  times  the  size  of  a  native  hut.  His  wardrobe 
is  never  empty.  His  money  seems  never  to  run  out. 
He  employs  hundreds  of  workmen.  His  steamers  bring 
untold  wealth  in  the  way  of  salt,  cloth  and  other  barter 
goods.  Thousands  of  natives  believe  that  salt  and  cloth 
are  churned  up  by  the  sea,  awaiting  only  the  daring  en- 
terprise of  the  white  man  to  gather  them.  Why,  then, 
they  argue,  do  you  expect  us  out  of  our  squalor  and  pov- 
erty to  support  the  work  which  you  are  so  abundantly 
able  to  suport?  This  is  natural  on  their  part.  There  are 
some  nominal  adherents,  notably  chiefs,  who  think  that 
they  are  granting  us  a  distinct  privilege  in  allowing  the 
gospel  to  be  preached,  and  brazenly  demand  pay.  The 
problem  is  not  solved  in  atempting  to  live  on  the  same 
level  with  the  native,  denying  one's  self  nourishing  food 
and  comfortable  quarters.  This  only  aggravates  matters. 
The  only  possible  solution  is  long  years  of  patient,  la- 
borious instruction  which  aims  at  increasing  the  natives' 
wants,  thereby  stimulating  them  to  greater  energy  and 
larger  production,  and  providing  adequate  facilities  for 
marketing  all  they  can  produce. 

Insufficient  Instruction. — A  last  difficulty  is  the  lack 
of  sufficient  instruction.  It  has  been  our  policy  to  re- 
tain control  of  the  regular  evangelists  by  employing 
them  at  stipulated  salaries.  The  expanding  nature  of 
the  work  necessitated  this.  If  the  villages  paid  them,  it 
would  be  hard  to  change  them  at  a  moment's  notice.  We 
must  be  able  to  thus  control  and  change  them.  But  this 
has  produced  a  selfish  streak  in  a  few  of  the  evangslists, 
who  feel  secure  in  their  salaries  coming  from  the  Mis- 
sion and  are  afraid  to  trust  the  people.  Again,  in  order 
to  occupy  strategic  places,  to  enter  doors  before  they 
closed,  and  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  rapidly  growing 
work,  we  have  been  forced  to  send  out  workers  with 


132      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE    GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

most  pitiable  preparation.  Many  of  them  cannot  work 
a  simple  problem  in  Arithmetic.  How,  then,  can  they 
properly  report  the  amounts  and  estimate  the  values  of 
gifts? 

When  every  obstacle  has  been  mentioned  the  greatest 
is  undoubtedly  the  inadequate  instruction  of  the  native 
leaders  and  therefore  of  the  church  body.  The  respon- 
sibility for  this  lies  at  the  door  of  the  home  Church, 
which  has  failed  to  provide  an  adequate  missionary  force. 
Give  us  enough  missionaries  to  do  intensive  work  pre- 
paring their  native  leaders,  and  extensive  work  superin- 
tending properly  their  efforts,  and  the  problem  of  self- 
support  will  quickly  solve  itself. 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

Despite  the  difficulties,  a  calm  survey  of  actual  at- 
tainments will  reveal  a  responsiveness  on  the  part  of 
the  people  to  do  their  best  which  augurs  well  for  the  fu- 
ture. 

Organized  Churches. — There  are  ten  self-supporting 
organized  congregations  on  our  six  Mission  Stations. 
The  elders,  deacons,  and  pastors  are  supported  out  of 
the  local  funds.  It  is  thoroughly  understood  that  each 
native  pastor  must  be  supported  entirely  by  Church  gifts. 
The  entertainment  of  strangers  is  provided  either  from 
Church  sources  or  from  individuals.  Every  week  delega- 
tions, numbering  scores  of  people,  come  to  ask  for  evan- 
gelists, to  seek  medical  attention,  or  to  secure  advice  in 
their  difficulties.  This  affords  great  opportunities  to 
interest  them  and  to  point  them  to  Christ.  Their  enter- 
tainment is  a  considerable  item.  One  Luebo  elder  has 
built  a  house  for  strangers,  whom  he  entertains  at  his 
own  expense.    The  house  is  usually  filled. 

Tithing. — All  evangelists  and  paid  teachers  regularly 
tithe  their  incomes  This  is  purely  voluntary.  Many  of 
the  laity  do  the  same.     We  recall  the  vivid  impression, 


A    FRUITFUL   CHURCH  I33 

the  first  day  of  our  arrival  as  a  new  missionary  at  Luebo, 
made  by  the  sight  of  a  woman  coming  up  the  path  with 
a  large  basket  of  corn  on  her  head.  Depositing  it  at 
the  feet  of  Dr.  Morrison,  she  said :  "The  Lord  has  given 
me  ten  baskets  of  corn  this  year  and  I  have  brought  one 
to  Him."  This  spirit  is  being  encouraged,  but  it  is 
more  difficult  for  the  average  Congolese  to  calculate 
his  income  than  for  the  average  Church  member  at  home. 
Outstations. — The  greater  part  of  the  Church  mem- 
bership is  in  the  interior.  Therefore,  our  greatest  diffi- 
culties lie  there.  In  the  early  days  the  Mission  paid  for 
the  erection  of  chapels  and  manses.  But  for  several 
years  this  has  not  been  done.  It  is  now  the  policy  not 
to  provide  an  evangelist  until  both  chapel  and  manse 
have  been  erected.  The  average  life  of  a  chapel,  or 
Church  shed,  is  two  years.  Therefore,  while  the  initial 
cost  is  trifling,  the  cumulative  value  of  these  edifices  is 
considerable.  In  1914  the  chapels  of  Mutoto  territory, 
built  independently  of  Mission  help,  were  valued  at 
$1,282.  In  the  same  year  a  large  chapel,  valued  at  $250, 
was  built  at  Mutoto  by  voluntary  labor.  The  cost  of  these 
chapels  and  manses  is  not  included  in  the  gifts  as  re- 
ported. They  ought  to  be,  but  owing  to  changing 
values  for  every  community,  the  deficiency  of  many  of 
the  leaders  and  the  large  number  of  voluntary  workers,  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  accurate  statistics. 

Voluntary  Teachers. — It  is  generally  accepted  that 
two-thirds  of  the  native  helpers,  including  secular  teach- 
ers, are  voluntary,  being  self-supporting,  or  supported 
by  their  villages.  This  is  a  unique  feature  of  the  work. 
For  example,  in  1910  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Morrison  discovered 
that  the  vilage  of  Bakwa  Mai,  175  miles  from  Luebo, 
was  evangelizing  unaided  and  with  marked  success 
twenty-one  distinct  villages,  not  a  cent  of  the  support 
coming  from  Leubo.  In  that  same  year  Dr.  J.  O.  Reavis 
found  by  personal  inquiry  that,  within  125  miles  of  Lu- 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  135 

ebo,  there  were  more  than  one  hundred  teachers  and 
other  Christian  workers  being  suported  independently 
of  the  Mission. 

A  Concrete  Illustration. — In  1917-1918  a  special  effort 
was  made  in  the  Lusambo  field  to  test  out  the  willingness 
and  the  ability  of  the  people  to  give.  A  "Progressive 
Program  Campaign"  was  inaugurated.  At  the  end  of 
the  first  year  the  gifts  increased  300  per  cent.  The  fol- 
lowing year  this  high  mark  was  not  only  maintained 
but  the  quota  of  25  per  cent  increase  was  more  than 
reached.  At  the  end  of  the  second  year  the  field  was 
almost  thre-fourfhs  self-supporting.  Heing  a  compara- 
tively new  work,  with  kss  than  five  hundred  Church 
members,  the  missionary  staff  was  able  to  concentrate 
along  this  line  to  better  advantage  than  can  those  on  the 
other  Stations.  The  campaign  revealed  that  these  wretch- 
edly poor  natives  will  gladly  respond  to  instruction.  Also, 
it  showed  on  the  part  of  many  a  spirit  of  genuine  self- 
denial  and  sacrifice  which  would  put  to  shame  many 
Church  members  in  Christian  lands.  For  instance,  one 
evangelist  gave  two  months'  salary  in  addition  to  his 
tithe  I 

ENDURANCE 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "How  do  the  African 
converts  hold  out?"  Some  are  like  Peter  and  must  be 
disciplined  for  lying.  Others  are  like  Moses,  guilty  of 
the  sin  of  rashness  and  impatience,  or  like  David,  yield- 
ing to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  As  a  race  they  wonderfully 
resemble  the  Children  of  Israel  in  their  constant  dis- 
play of  weakness  and  failure.  Many  of  them  must  be 
disciplined  over  and  over.  The  yearly  average  of  jiisj: 
ciplined__cases  varies  between  fifteen  and  twenty-five 
per  cent  of  the  total  membership.  However,  the  actual 
loss  is  relatively  small.  When  inclined  to  criticise  the 
weakness  of  African  converts,  one  should  remember 
three  things.     First,  that  this  is  a  child  race,  subject  to 


136      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

the  whims,  impulses  and  limitations  of  a  child's  mind. 
Constant  correction  is  necessary  for  its  development. 
Second,  that  it  is  not  just  to  compare  the  lives  of  new- 
born converts  in  a  heathen  land  with  those  of  mature 
Christians  at  home  with  centuries  of  godly  training  and 
living  behind  them.  We  should  contrast  their  lives  with 
the  terrible  environment  in  which  they  must  dwell. 
Third,  that  discipline  is  sternly  meted  out  in  the  case 
of  every  delinquent.  Adultery,  lying,  back-biting,  hate, 
malice,  fighting,  quarreling,  intriguing,  stealing,  covet- 
ousness,  bearing  false  witnes,  cursing,  Sabbath  break- 
ing, dishonoring  parents,  debts  (when  payment  is  long 
deferred),  hemp  smoking,  drunkenness  (there  is  very 
little),  returning  to  idol  worship  or  fetishes,  and  many 
other  forms  of  sin  are  instantly  condemned  and  the 
guilty  parties  must  suffer  the  humiliation  of  discipline. 
How  would  the  African  standard  of  discipline  affect 
American  Christians? 

One  test  of  a  true  convert  is  the  manner  in  which  he 
endures  persecution.  While  our  people  have  not  had  to 
endure  the  ravages  of  the  sword,  as  the  early  Christians 
or  as  the  Armenians  and  Koreans  suffered,  yet  there 
are  many  forms  of  persecution  which  test  their  faith  to 
the  limit. 

General  Instances. — These  babes  in  Christ  must  daily 
stand  gibes,  insults  and  curses.     Ridicule  and  scorn  are 
often  employed  to  break  the  will.     The  acceptance  of 
►  Christ  means  a  complete  revolution  of  their  whole  so- 
cial and  religious  fabric.    It  means  a  definite  break  with 
I  old  habits,  customs  and  superstitions  which  have  been 
1  taught  them  from  their  infancy  up.     To  resist  custom 
requires  courage  of  a  high  type.     Moreover,  there  is  an 
element  in  every  village  which  opposes  bitterly  the  stand 
for  purity,  righteousness  and  holy  living.     This  opposi- 
tion usually  taices  the  form  of  personal  insinuations,  ac- 
cusation, and  contempt  which  only  the  grace  of  God  en- 


A    FRUITFUL   CHURCH  1 37 

ables  them  to  bear.  Further,  Christians  are  charged  with 
all  the  calamities  which  befall  the  people.  The  failure 
of  charms  to  work  or  the  unexpected  stroke  of  lightning 
is  laid  to  their  doors.  In  a  certain  village  a  wall  fell, 
killing  several  persons.  The  relatives  at  once  accused 
the  evangelist,  who  was  saved  from  violence  only  by  the 
prompt  intervention  of  the  chief. 

Persecution  from  Parents. — In  the  Bakuba  kingdom 
any  man  who  leaves  his  village  to  live  elsewhere  is  un- 
der a  curse.  Both  Kolexa  Muoyo,  the  Mukete  elder  at 
Bulape,  and  his  wife  are  outcasts.  A  young  boy,  com- 
manded by  his  father  to  participate  in  a  heathen  sacrifi- 
cial rite,  refused,  saying  that  he  would  submit  to  a  thrash- 
ing, but  would  not  eat  meat  sacrificed  to  idols.  This  re- 
quired all  the  more  courage  since  meat  is  a  rare  delicacy 
with  the  natives.  In  a  Baluba  village  a  young  girl  was 
converted.  A  little  later  the  chief,  much  older  than  she, 
paid  the  dowry  to  her  parents  and  prepared  to  add  her 
to  his  already  large  number  of  plural  wives.  She  re- 
fused to  enter  the  polygamous  relation.  When  her  par- 
ents insisted,  she  ran  away  to  the  forest.  She  was 
caught,  for  no  one  will  aid  or  abet  the  runaway  wife,  and 
severely  beaten.  For  months  she  persistently  refused  to 
become  his  wife.  At  last  she  was  bound  hand  and  foot 
and  thrown  into  the  chief's  hut. 

Persecution  by  Chiefs. — According  to  the  State's  law 
the  chief  has  absolute  power  in  his  village.  It  requires 
grit  to  be  loyal  to  Christ  when  it  means  opposition  to 
a  heathen  chief.  It  was  self-denial  day  in  a  certain  vil- 
lage. After  weeks  of  saving  the  handful  of  Christians 
made  their  offering  of  three  dollars.  The  chief  demanded 
that  the  money  be  given  to  him,  since  the  people  were 
his.  The  evangelist  refused.  That  night  the  chief  ap- 
peared at  the  evangelist's  house  and  had  him  severely 
thrashed  with  a  cruel  scourge  made  from  the  hide  of  the 
hippopotamus,  but  he  did  not  get  the  money.     Many  a 


I38      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

person  has  taken  a  beating  rather  than  be  disloyal  to 
his  duty  as  he  saw  it. 

Persecution  from  the  Government. — Reference  has 
been  made  to  the  persecution  at  Luebo  and  throughout 
our  territory  by  the  Government  that  has  sworn  to  pro- 
tect the  natives  in  their  religious  rights.  Literally  hun- 
dreds have  gone  to  prison  rather  than  surrender  their 
privileges  and  convictions.  Many  chiefs,  nominally 
Protestant,  have  lost  their  villages  because  of  their 
friendship  for  us.  Others  are  confessedly  afraid  to  ex- 
pose themselves  to  the  State's  displeasure  by  accepting 
our  teachers.  A  notable  instance  was  the  case  of 
Mwamba  Kufula,  a  man  who  had  risked  his  life  again  and 
again  for  the  State.  Yet  he  lay  in  prison  for  one  year 
untried  and  unconvicted.  Several  of  his  villages  were 
taken  from  him.  The  only  plausible  excuse  that  we 
could  find  was  that  he  had  become  our  adherent  and 
had  received  for  his  people  two  of  our  evangelists  who 
were  in  continual  written  intercourse  with  us!  The 
only  explanation  of  the  attitude  of  the  State  is  that  it 
is  powerfully  influenced  by  the  Catholic  party  in  Belgium. 
Much  can  be  said  of  the  constant  persecutions  of  our 
people  by  nominal  Catholic  chiefs,  but  the  story  is  too 
long. 

PRAYER 

Prayer  is  the  pulse  of  a  fruitful  Church,  or  Christian. 
The  pulse  of  the  Congo  Native  Church  is  strong.  If 
witness-bearing  is  the  distinctive  feature  of  this  Church, 
prayer  has  made  it  thus.  The  native  Christians  have 
come  to  believe  that  prayer  is  their  most  important  duty. 
Everybody  prays.  There  is  no  diffidence  about  praying 
in  public.  Men,  women  and  children  will  lead  in  prayer. 
They  appreciate  prayer.  It  is  very  real  to  them,  since 
the  supernatural  is  always  close  about  them.  They  be- 
lieve in  prayer.  Unanswered  petitions  do  not  throw  them 
into  doubting  moods.    They  trust  implicitly.     They  tell 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  139 

God  everything  in  the  most  intimate  manner.  Satan 
with  them,  is  a  real  person  and  they  will  carry  on  with 
God  long  conversations  about  what  Satan  said  to  them. 

Praying  for  Meat. — With  the  natives  meat  is  a  deli- 
cacy. The  girls  in  Pantops  Home  are  provided  with  it 
but  once  a  week.  On  one  occasion  as  a  punishment  for 
misconduct,  the  matron  decided  to  deny  them  their  meat. 
This  had  a  sobering  effect.  The  back  yard  became 
strangely  quiet.  After  a  season,  a  girl  came  to  plead 
for  a  reversal  of  the  decision.  The  matron  remained 
firm  until  a  small  head  appeared,  peeping  around  the 
corner  of  the  house.  The  pleader  instantly  rushed  to 
the  little  one  and  said  in  a  stage  whisper :  "Get  back  to 
the  shed,  your  place  is  yonder  with  the  others  praying!" 
The  matron  gave  them  the  mleat. 

Prayer  and  Fasting. — In  times  of  crises  the  mission- 
aries and  the  entire  native  Christian  body  have  engaged 
in  seasons  of  special  prayer  and  fasting.  Something 
usually  happens  at  such  times.  It  is  believed  that  the 
steamer,  the  S.  N.  Lapsley,  was  provided  as  the  result  of 
such  a  season.  At  the  time  of  the  trial  of  Dr.  Morrison 
and  Dr.  Sheppard  at  Leopoldville,  it  was  decided  at  Luebo 
to  have  a  day  of  prayer  and  fasting.  Friday,  which  is 
called  the  "Fifth  Day,"  was  set.  By  the  time  the  word 
had  reached  one  distant  outstation  the  "Fifth  Day"  had 
grown  to  five  days !  Immediately  the  fast  was  begun. 
After  the  fast  had  lasted  three  days  and  some  of  the 
children  were  nearly  famished,  a  native  teacher  just 
from  Luebo  happened  to  pass  that  way  and  corrected 
the  miistake.  But  our  missionaries  were  gloriously 
acquitted ! 

Sunrise  Meeting. — Every  day  at  sun-up  on  each  Cen- 
tral Station  and  in  each  outstation  there  is  a  prayer 
service.  The  people  come  through  the  raw,  foggy  morn- 
ing to  acknowledge  '.heir  Maker  and  to  pray  His  bless- 
ing on  the  work  of  the  day.     Similar  prayer  meetings 


140      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

are  conducted  on  Wednesday  and  Sunday  nights.  Ten 
years  ago  a  missionary  estimated  that  these  meetings 
had  an  average  attendance  of  10,000.  Today  it  must  be 
treble  that  since  our  Christian  constituency  numbers 
36,000.  During  his  visit  in  1912  Bishop  Lambuth  was 
deeply  impressed  with  the  atmosphere  of  prayer  at  Lu- 
ebo.  In  writing  of  the  native  evangelists  he  said :  "The 
work  of  these  men  and  that  of  their  missionary  leaders 
is  rooted  and  grounded  in  faith  and  in  prayer.     Think 


nMH&%X 

^L__iSji^H 

Kj 

HI    ww 

■f-gfcjj& . 

■    «*  * 

j. 

An   Example    of   How   Low  the    Natives    Build    Their    Huts. 
Rev.  A.  C.  McKinnon. 


of  several  hundred  turning  out  every  morning  of  the 
year  to  6  o'clock  prayer  meeting.  They  know  God.  I 
have  rarely  heard  such  prayers.  They  have  learned  to 
talk  with  God  and  with  a  devoutness  of  spirit  which  is 
marvelous.  Think  of  a  semi-circle  of  <  ottage  prayer 
meetings  at  Luebo  every  Wednesday  night  extending 
for  two  miles.  I  heard  the  singing  from  half  a  hundred 
different  points  while  I  was  walking  through  the  Mis- 
sion compound,  on  my  way  to  conduct  the  missionary 
prayer  service  in  English.  Is  there  any  wonder  that  we 
felt  that  night  the  presence  of  our  Lord?  I  thank  God 
for  what  I  have  seen  and  heard.  The  half  had  not  been 
told  me." 


A    FRUITFUL    CHURCH  I4I 

Prayer  and  the  Holy  Spirit. — The  connection  between 
prayer  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  recognized.  One  rarely 
hears  a  prayer  that  does  not  reveal  the  petitioner's  utter 
dependence  upon  the  power  and  guidance  of  the  Spirit. 
The  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  answer  to  earnest  prayer 
was  strikingly  illustrated  in  the  work  of  David  Mpu- 
tu  at  the  village  of  Ngeya  Kalamba.  This  devoted  evan- 
gelist, now  an  elder  at  Mutoto,  with  his  assistants  built 
up  a  native  Church  of  250  members.  He  trained  and 
sent  out  five  self-supporting  teachers  and  had  twenty 
others  in  preparation  for  evangelistic  work.  There  was 
a  class  of  over  200  catechumens.  The  old  chief,  who  has 
recently  died,  was  a  regular  attendant  on  all  Church 
services  and  had  put  away  all  his  wives  except  one  in 
his  earnest  desire  to  become  a  baptized  Christian.  Not 
only  missionaries,  but  State  men  and  traders  have  ob- 
served and  praised  the  work  of  this  man.  What  was  the 
secret  of  his  success?  At  a  Luebo  conference  it  came  out. 
Far  away  from  the  assistance  of  the  missionary  this 
noble  man  of  God  discovered  in  the  Bible  a  more  sure 
source  of  guidance.  There  he  read  where  Christ,  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  told  the  people  to  go  into  their 
secret  hiding  places  for  prayer.  Mputu  took  this  literal- 
ly, as  it  should  be  taken,  and  every  inquirer  even  must 
first  establish  a  secret  place  for  prayer.  There  must  be 
a  place  set  apart  in  the  hut,  or  on  the  verandah,  in  the 
tall  grass  or  in  the  near-by  forest.  Moreover,  each  path 
to  this  retreat  must  be  worn.  Thus,  450  members  and 
catechumens  meant  450  prayer  closets.  No  wonder  the 
fire  burns  in  their  hearts.  Such  devotion  will  kindle  a 
flame  anywhere.    "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 


A  Bakuba  Chief 


Pineapples   Grown  in   Luebo 


CHAPTER  V. 

0n  tfje  Crail 


CHAPTER  V. 
<&n  tfje  (Eratl 

i.     The  Importance  of  Itineration. 

2.  The  Outfit. 

(i)     The    Preparation. 

(2)  The    Pocket-Book. 

(3)  The  Porters. 

3.  The   Highways. 

(1)  Main   Thoroughfares. 

(2)  By-paths. 

(3)  Topography. 

a.  Forests. 

b.  Hills. 

c.  Plains. 

d.  Streams. 

4.  An  Average  Village. 

(1)  The   Approach. 

(2)  On   Exhibition. 

(3)  Hospitality. 

(4)  Industries. 

(5)  Housing. 

(6)  The  Position  of  Woman. 

(7)  Disagreeable    Experiences. 

a.  Filth. 

b.  Diseases. 

c.  Noises. 

(8)  Religious  Customs. 

a.  No   Atheists. 

b.  A  Trinity  of  Spirits. 

c.  A   Religion  of  Fear. 

5.  The  Village   Church. 

(1)  A  Miniature  Mission  Station. 

(2)  The  Call  of  the  Drum. 

(3)  The  Catechumenate. 

a.  The  Tests. 

b.  Sample  Examinations. 

c.  The  Final  Test. 


CHAPTER  V. 
®n  tfje  Cratl 

On  the  trail  one  sees  the  native  in  his  true  perspec- 
tive, at  his  best  and  at  his  worst.  Much  depends  on  the 
temperament  of  the  traveler  as  to  which  will  appeal  more 
to  him.  If  he  is  a  pessimist,  he  will  be  unduly  bur- 
dened with  the  dark  side  of  heathenism.  If  he  is  an 
optimist,  no  cloud  will  be  too  black  for  him  to  detect 
its  silver  lining.  The  native  will  quickly  size  one  up. 
He  has  little  use  for  the  pessimist.  Most  missionaries 
are  able  to  magnify  the  best,  while  not  overlooking  the 
worst  in  heathen  life. 

Importance  of  Itineration. — Since  only  a  small  pro- 
portion of  the  native  population  is  found  at  the  central 
Mission  stations,  itinerating  among  the  523  out-stations, 
or  country  Churches,  assumes  a  most  important  place 
in  missionary  life.  It  is  our  policy  to  visit  these  places 
at  least  twice  yearly.  In  addition,  the  elders  and  native 
pastors  make  frequent  trips.  These  tours  occupy  from 
three  weeks  to  two  months. 

THE    OUTFIT 

The  Preparation. — Whether  the  tour  is  to  extend  over 
a  short  or  a  long  period,  the  preparation  is  much  the 
same.  In  case  of  the  latter  supplies  must  be  replenished 
from  time  to  time.  One  must  have  a  tent — unless  one  is 
willing  to  sleep  in  the  native  huts  along  the  path — a 
folding  camp  cot,  with  extra  bedding,  for  the  nights  are 
often  very  cool,  a  folding  table,  and  chair.  Then  there 
is  the  inevitable  mosquito  net,  a  nuisance  but  a  necessity. 
It  may  not  be  needed,  then  again  night  may  find  one  near 
a  swamp  and  even  one  mosquito  is  most  exasperating 
after  a  hard  day  of  tramping,  preaching  and  entertaining 


I46      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

the  throngs.  Several  changes  of  wearing  apparel  are 
required,  for  one  may  be  caught  in  an  unexpected  shower, 
or  drenched  by  the  heavy  dew  on  the  tall  grasses;  also 
a  tin  trunk  that  will  successfully  turn  water  and  bear 
hard  knocks.  Again,  there  are  the  cooking  utensils  and 
table  ware.  One  prefers  to  carry  a  small  bath  tub,  since 
the  streams  are  not  always  convenient  to  the  camping 
place  and  it  may  be  embarrassing  to  perform  one's  ablu- 
tions with  a  crowd  of  curious  little  children  lining  the 
bank!  Sweet  potatoes,  fresh  corn,  eggs,  chickens,  pine- 
apples and  bananas  are  usually  to  be  found  along  the 
route.  However,  there  are  times  when  none  of  these 
foods  can  be  obtained  and  one  must  depend  upon  his 
"chop"  box.  Certain  foods,  as  flour,  lard,  butter,  sugar, 
milk,  tea,  and  coffee,  must  always  be  ported.  One  gets 
tired  of  tough  chicken  at  every  meal.  Therefore,  the 
wise  man  will  take  a  few  tins  of  sliced  bacon,  beef,  sar- 
dines and  salmon.  He  will  also  vary  his  diet  with 
sweets,  such  as  jellies  and  jams.  He  must  not  forget 
the  canteens  for  drinking  water,  nor  must  he  neglect  the 
boiling,  of  every  drop  of  water  he  drinks.  Dysentery 
stalks  abroad  in  the  land.  Then  there  is  the  medicine 
chest,  for  one  never  knows  what  may  befall  him.  There 
are  always  the  stumped  toes,  sore  shoulders  and  aching 
backs  of  the  men  to  be  doctored. 

The  Pocket-Book. — There  is  no  free  entertainment  on 
a  road  trip.  Think  of  the  hungry  men  composing  your 
caravan  who  must  be  fed  at  least  once  a  day.  They  will 
be  happier,  travel  better,  and  give  you  less  trouble  on 
two  meals  a  day.  True,  food  is  cheap  and  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  coarse  salt  per  day  will  purchase  enough  for  one 
man.  We  were  never  able  to  do  with  less  than  one 
thirty-six  pound  sack  of  salt  a  week.  One  must  have  a 
fair  supply  of  barter  goods,  consisting  of  calico,  beads 
and  other  trinkets,  trousers,  vests,  coats,  and  caps,  with 
which  to  purchase  his  food,  meat  for  the  men,  or  for 


ON   THE  TRAIL  14/ 

returning  the  hospitality  of  the  chief  in  whose  village 
one  sleeps.  School  supplies,  charts,  readers,  Bibles, 
pads  and  pencils,  are  always  in  demand.  Oftentimes 
the  heart  of  some  voluntary  teacher,  who  is  facing 
alone  the  frightful  darkness  of  a  village  given  over  to 
idolatry,  is  made  happy  with  the  simple  gift  of  a  pencil, 
or  a  pad  of  writing  paper. 

The  Number  of  Men. — Count  the  articles  described 
above  and  calculate  the  number  of  men  required  to  port 
one's  outfit.  Then  add  six  hammock  men,  a  cook,  and 
a  personal  boy.  The  missionary  might  do  his  own  cook- 
ing, laundering,  and  housekeeping — and  some  inexperi- 
enced ones  attempt  it  for  a  short  time — provided  he  were 
on  a  mere  pleasure  trip.  But  after  he  has  wearily  made 
his  twenty  miles,  preaching  in  every  village  along  the 
way,  and  at  last  reaches  the  stopping  place  for  the  night, 
he  finds  his  hardest  work  still  before  him — the  examina- 
tion of  many  catechumens,  the  settling  of  disputes,  and 
the  hearing  of  reports  from  the  evangelist  and  teachers. 
In  Africa  it  is  not  a  wise  economy  to  save  a  few  dollars 
for  the  Mission  at  the  expense  of  one's  efficiency  and 
health.  The  least  number  of  men  we  have  ever  been 
able  to  get  along  with  was  sixteen,  but  we  did  not  use 
a  hammock.  If  there  are  several  missionaries,  the  cara- 
van will  be  increased  to  thirty,  forty  and  even  fifty  men. 

The  Start. — Of  couse  the  preparation  for  such  a 
journey  cannot  be  completed  at  a  moment's  notice.  For 
days,  sometimes  for  weeks,  the  matter  is  on  one's  mind. 
The  various  articles  must  be  collected  and  sorted.  Men 
must  be  engaged.  Frequently,  the  time  set  for  departure 
must  be  postponed  because  some  of  the  carriers  have 
not  turned  up.  But,  at  last,  every  load  is  deftly  tied  to 
its  pole  with  strong  rattan — the  native  is  as  skilful  at 
tying  a  knot  as  a  sailor — rations  (salt)  for  three  days 
are  meted  out,  the  loads  are  swung  to  the  shoulders  and 
the  box-men  are  off  at  a  trot,  single  file,  down  the  trail. 


148      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

The  missionary  crawls  into  his  hammock  and,  amid  the 
confusion  and  parting  shouts  of  almost  the  entire  village 
body,  gathered  to  bid  hm  good-bye  and  god-speed,  the 
long  journey  "over  the  hills  and  far  away"  is  begun  in 
earnest.  If  he  is  wise  he  will  attempt  only  ten  or  twelve 
miles  the  first  day.  With  each  succeeding  day,  both  he 
and  his  men  become  more  hardened  to  the  path  and 
before  their  return,  thirty  miles,  if  necessary,  will  be 
clipped  off  as  easily  as  the  first  ten. 

CHARACTERISTICS 

Itinerating  affords  fine  opportunities  to  observe  and 
study  one's  men — their  behaviour,  their  traits  of  char- 
acter. 

Docile. — In  the  first  place,  he  notes  that  they  are 
very  docile.  Think  of  a  lone  white  man  handling  with 
ease  and  confidence  twenty  or  mpre  natives,  some  of 
whom  he  may  have  never  seen  before !  His  word  is  law. 
Generally,  there  is  a  Kapita,  or  head  man,  who  looks 
after  the  details  of  the  caravan  trip.  But  the  responsi- 
bility is  borne  by  the  white  man.  He  settles  disputes, 
changes  the  loads  when  necessary,  and  not  infrequently 
imposes  fines  for  unseemly  conduct.  If  he  is  tactful  and 
just,  he  can  exact  anything  of  the  men  and  they  will  obey 
him. 

Happy. — They  are  usually  a  happy  lot,  especially 
when  well  fed  and  the  march  is  to  be  a  short  one.  They 
make  the  welkin  ring  with  their  songs.  The  box-men 
and  the  hammock-men  twit  each  other  about  the  relative 
weights  of  their  loads.  A  tumble  down  a  steep  decline 
or  into  the  water,  always  produces  laughter.  They  are 
like  a  set  of  boys  off  on  a  frolic.  As  long  as  the  singing 
keeps  up  one  may  know  that  the  men  are  in  a  high  good 
humor.  But  let  silence  reign,  and  trouble  may  be  brew- 
ing.    A  sense  of  humor  on  the  part  of  the  missionary 


ON   THE  TRAIL  149 

often  saves  an  ugly  situation  and  turns  frowns  into 
smiles. 

Loyal. — Their  loyalty  to  the  white  chief  is  at  times 
most  touching.  They  resent  any  discourtesy  to  him. 
They  will  even  rpj  rimand  the  raw  village  chief  for  his 
lack  of  good  manners.  They  are  solicitous  of  his  welfare. 
One  day,  in  an  unknown  territory,  we  desired  to  cut 
across  a  plain  to  a  certain  village.  The  men  insisted 
that  it  was  too  far  for  a  day's  journey  and  that  there 
were  no  intermediate  villages.  We  settled  the  question 
by  striking  out  along  the  trail.  Of  course,  they  followed. 
From  six  in  the  morning  until  six  that  evening  we 
trudged  our  weary  way  across  that  blistering  plain. 
The  path,  small  and  tortuous,  was  filled  with  slick 
stubble  which  made  walking  painful.  There  was  not  a 
shade  tree  save  at  the  bottom  of  deep  ravines.  The  sun 
is  hottest  between  noon  and  two  o'clock.  We  became 
faint,  in  spite  of  the  large  pith  helmet.  The  four  ham- 
mock-men, too,  were  showing  signs  of  distress.  But 
when  they  saw  our  plight,  forgetting  their  bleeding  feet 
and  aching  shoulders,  they  insisted  that  they  were  as 
fresh  as  if  they  had  just  bathed  in  the  cooling  depths  of 
some  dashing  stream,  and  would  not  budge  until  we  had 
climbed  into  the  hammock  for  a  brief  respite.  Again 
and  again,  they  offered  their  weary  bodies  for  the  help 
of  their  faint  and  exhausted  white  chief.  One  cannot 
forget  such  loyalty  as  that.  Who  would  not  love  men 
like  those,  whatever  their  race? 

Propagandists. — It  is  the  rule  that  the  men  of  the 
caravan  must  attend  the  religious  services.  They  are 
always  eager  to  tell  who  their  white  man  is  and  what  is 
his  business.  This  usually  calls  for  discussion.  Many 
times  the  way  for  our  entrance  into  villages  has  been 
prepared  by  the  box-men  who  have  gone  on  before.  It 
is  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  several  groups  of  villagers 
surrounding  our  men  and  listening  to  their  exposition 


The  trail.    Note  the  caravan  in  the  background. 


ON   THE  TRAIL  151 

of  some  scripture  passage,  or  learning  the  chorus  of  a 
hymn.  On  one  occasion,  after  a  hard  day's  march,  we 
were  awakened  by  the  sound  of  a  class  learning  the 
alphabet.  The  Kapita  was  teaching  the  old  chief  and 
his  children,  the  A,  B,  Cs !  This  resulted  in  the  placing 
there  of  an  evangelist. 

THE    HIGHWAYS 

The  Main  Thoroughfares. — As  in  the  days  of  the 
Roman  Empire  all  roads  led  to  Rome,  so  in  the  Congo 
all  the  large  highways  lead  to  State  posts.  The  com- 
parison can  be  carried  no  further  since  even  the  best 
road  is  no  more  than  a  foot  path,  a  trail.  Once  a  year, 
when  the  tax  collector  makes  his  rounds,  the  people 
clear  out  the  trails,  then  the  grass  is  allowed  to  grow 
again.  For  administrative  purposes  the  State  has  com- 
pelled the  people,  with  some  exceptions,  of  course,  to 
erect  their  villages  along  these  highways.  This  facili- 
tates missionary  work,  too.  The  compactness  of  the 
villages  is  still  another  aid.  Owing  to  their  communal 
manner  of  living,  no  less  than  for  mutual  protection 
from  wild  animals  or  hostile  tribes,  the  houses  are 
erected  close  together.  Thus,  within  a  half  hour  after 
his  arrival,  the  missionary  may  be  preaching  to  nearly 
all  the  people  of  the  village.  This  is  also  an  aid  to  the 
evangelist  in  his  pastoral  work.  He  knows  what  each 
member  is  doing  all  the  time. 

By-paths. — From  time  to  time  it  becomes  necessary 
to  plunge  into  the  bush  to  search  out  the  Lambs  along 
the  by-paths  and  out-of-the-way  places.  Frequently  the 
trail  forks,  or  cross  trails  appear,  and  it  would  be  puz- 
zling to  know  which  one  to  take  if  the  guide  did  not 
"kill"  the  false  one  by  dropping  a  tuft  of  grass  or  a  tree 
branch,  across  them,  leaving  open  the  true  one.  How 
often  have  we  not  heard  the  natives  use  this  illustration 


A    Swinging    Vine    Bridge. 


ON   THE  TRAIL  1 53 

with  striking  effect?  There  is  but  one  path  that  leadeth 
unto  life,  but  many  that  lead  unto  death.  Christ  is  the 
unerring  Guide  who  goes  on  before,  closing  all  ways 
save  the  true  one. 

TOPOGRAPHY 

The  physical  features  along  the  trail  vary  much. 
One  is  struck  with  the  absence  of  gravel  and  stones, 
save  along  the  water  courses,  and  of  thorns  and  briers 
except  occasionally  in  the  forests.  A  benevolent  Creator 
has  been  kind  to  this  barefoot  race. 

Forests. — To-day  one  trails  his  way  through  one  of 
the  great  forests  for  which  Central  Africa  is  noted.  Two 
feet  away  the  thick  vines  and  undergrowth  form  an 
almost  impenetrable  mass,  which  one  discovers  on  fre- 
quent occasions  when  compelled  to  make  detours  around 
fallen  trees.  The  native  never  clears  the  trail.  He  goes 
around  obstacles.  Magnificent  trees  of  mahogany,  ebony, 
teak,  and  redwood  rear  their  massive  trunks  towards 
the  blue  sky  until  lost  in  the  foliage  above.  Troops  of 
gay  monkeys  chatter  and  play  in  the  tree  tops,  just 
beyond  the  range  of  the  gun.  Save  for  this  and  the 
tramp  of  your  men,  or  the  falling  of  a  decayed  tree  limb, 
there  is  death-like  silence.  Ah,  the  cool,  the  grateful, 
shade  of  the  forest!  Here  one  may  don  the  felt  hat,  or 
even  bare  the  head,  without  a  fear  of  the  smiting  rays 
of  a  hostile  sun. 

Hills. — To-morrow  one  is  amid  the  awe-inspiring 
hills.  From  the  summit  of  one  he  feasts  his  eyes  upon 
a  scene  which,  for  grandeur  and  solemn  impressiveness, 
almost  beggars  description.  It  seems  as  if  these  lofty 
peaks  had  rolled  tumultuously  from  the  hand  of  the 
Creator,  who,  in  order  to  hide  their  nakedness,  clothed 
them  with  a  beautiful  cloak  of  green.  The  streak  of 
silver  winding  in  and  out  among  the  foothills,  is  the 


154      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Lubilash  river.  It  is  a  scene  of  enchanting  loveliness, 
but  the  spell  is  broken  as  the  journey  is  resumed  down, 
down,  down,  until  it  seems  that  the  descent  will  never 
be  ended.  The  ascent  must  be  made.  It  is  all  that  one 
can  do  to  make  the  top  and  he  wonders  how  the  box- 
men,  with  their  seventy-pound  loads,  will  make  it.  Some- 
how they  always  do  it. 

Streams. — Every  few  miles  there  is  a  stream,  it  may 
be  a  brook,  a  creek,  or  a  river  from  one  to  two  hundred 
yards  wide.  One  fords  the  smaller  streams  or  crosses 
on  rickety  pole  bridges.  Occasionally,  there  will  be  a 
swinging  vine  bridge  over  some  swift  creek.  The  larger 
ones  must  be  crossed  by  means  of  the  small  dug-out 
canoes.  The  men  refresh  their  weary  bodies  by  bathing 
whenever  possible. 

Plains. — Crossing  the  Lubilash  you  enter  almost  im- 
mediately upon  the  great  plain  which  stretches  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  east  and  south.  The  open  veldts  rise, 
fall  and  roll  like  giant  sea  billows.  Here  and  there 
lines  of  palm  trees  stretch  like  sentinels  along  the  distant 
ranges.     The  sun  is  hot. 

Animals  and  Reptiles. — It  is  here  that  the  wild  ani- 
mals are  found.  During  a  two  hours'  walk,  not  far  from 
Bibangu,  we  counted,  twelve  antelopes  and  seventy-five 
buffalos.  The  latter  are  very  dangerous  when  wounded. 
Not  a  few  adventurous  white  hunters  and  many  natives 
have  been  slain  by  them.  Man-eating  leopards  and  lions 
roam  the  plains  or  hide  in  their  lairs.  Hundreds  of 
natives  have  been  taken  by  these  ferocious  beasts.  They 
usually  seize  their  human  prey  at  night.  Elephants  are  to 
be  found  in  the  forest  between  Lusambo  and  Bibangu. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  we  have  not  seen  in  this  section 
a  live  lion,  leopard  or  elephant.  The  reason  is  two-fold, 
these  animals  seldom  frequent  the  open  trails,  and  we 
do  not  seek  them  in  their  dens.    We  feel  that  it  is  neither 


ON   THE  TRAIL  155 

wise  nor  profitable  for  the  missionary  to  engage  in  such 
sport.  Pythons,  boa  constrictors,  and  deadly  cobras  are 
in  abundance.  The  large  streams  teem  with  crocodiles. 
Perhaps  a  day  never  passes  that  a  human  life  does  not 
pay  the  penalty  for  its  ignorance  and  superstition.  The 
belief  prevails  that  it  is  not  the  reptile  or  the  beast  that 
kills  one,  but  an  evil  spirit  temporarily  residing  there. 
Hence  the  deluded  natives  fearlessly  trap,  fish  and  bathe 
in  every  stream.  Recently  two  Christian  women  at  Lu- 
sambo  were  seized  by  crocodiles  while  getting  water  at 
the  river. 

A  Health  Restorer. — Despite  the  hardships  of  the 
trail,  there  are  many  benefits.  If  one  has  been  on  his 
station  for  months,  grinding  away  at  routine  tasks,  be- 
coming well  stocked  with  malaria  and  growing  irritable, 
a  road  trip  is  the  best  tonic  for  him.  The  change  of  scene 
and  labor  clears  the  mind,  while  the  daily  vigorous  exer- 
cise, causing  profuse  perspiration,  cleanses  the  system 
of  impurities.  At  the  end  of  a  few  weeks,  the  missionary 
returns  with  a  more  vigorous  step,  renewed  in  body  and 
in  mind.  But  one  feels  sorry  for  the  women  mission- 
aries, especially  the  mothers,  who  seldom  are  able  to 
take  these  trips. 

AN  AVERAGE  VILLAGE 

The  Approach. — If  it  is  a  village  in  which  there  is  no 
Christian  work,  the  missionary's  approach  will  be  re- 
garded with  an  idle  curiosity,  but  if  there  is  an  evangelist 
present,  the  fact  of  his  coming  has  been  known  for  days 
in  advance  and  preparations  duly  made.  Although  wires 
and  telegraph  instruments  are  unknown  in  this  land,  the 
natives  send  messages  from  vilage  to  village  by  the  beat- 
ing of  a  certain  drum.  Some  distance  from  the  village 
the  hamimock-men  begin  to  herald  the  aproach  by  sing- 
ing songs  in  honor  of  their  white  man.     A  large  com- 


156      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

pany  of  men,  women,  and  children  are  coming  down  the 
trail  at  a  fast  walk.  At  their  head  the  evangelist  is 
easily  distinguished,  for  he  alone  is  arrayed  in  fine  linen. 
Now  they  are  upon  him,  all  wanting  to  shake  his  hand 
at  the  same  time.  Then  he  must  re-enter  the  hammock, 
for  do  not  all  chiefs  ride  into  the  village?  Two  husky 
village  lads  seize  the  pole  and  he  is  off,  the  crowd  surg- 
ing about  him,  bursting  through  the  grass  or  bush, 
bodies  swaying  in  perfect  rhythm  with  the  songs.  His 
praises  are  being  sung  by  a  hundred  throats,  the  ham- 
mock-men are  prancing  from  side  to  side,  and  the  box- 
men,  forgetting  sore  bodies,  are  performing  strange 
anctics  much  to  the  delight  of  the  throng.  His  heart 
begins  to  swell  with  pride  at  the  sincere  praises  of  these 
forest  children  until,  without  a  moment's  warning,  a  man 
stumbles  and  he  strikes  the  ground  with  a  force  which 
serves  effectually  to  reduce  his  thinking  to  the  more 
humble  realities  of  life. 

On  Exhibition. — It  may  be  an  hour  before  all  the 
boxes  arrive  and  the  time  is  employed  holding  an  in- 
formal reception.  Every  person  in  the  village,  except  a 
few  haughty  Catholics,  will  come  to  greet  the  mission- 
ary. Some  mischievous  boys  will  return,  again  and 
again,  to  shake  his  hand,  unless  discovered.  They  crowd 
about  him  and  there  he  sits  like  some  strange  animal 
in  the  zoo.  Unblushing  comments  are  made  about  the 
color  of  his  hair,  or  the  nature  of  his  attire.  His  outfit 
is  examined.  Every  movement  is  watched.  Their  eyes 
are  upon  him  from  the  moment  he  enters  the  village 
until  he  leaves.  They  watch  him  eat.  Once  we  learned 
that  the  red  salmon  served  for  dinner  was  thought  to  be 
human   flesh ! 

Hospitality. — Suddenly,  the  crowd  divides  and  the 
missionary  arises  to  greet  the  chief  arrayed  in  his  best 
attire.  After  the  usual  pleasantries,  a  man  steps  forward 
with  the  chief's  present,  a  chicken  and  vegetables  for 


ON   THE  TRAIL  1 57 

the  white  man,  and  a  goat  for  the  natives.  He  informs 
them  that  his  wives  have  already  been  dispatched  to  the 
spring  for  water  and  that  later  they  will  cook  food  for 
the  men.  The  gifts  are  accepted  with  thanks.  It  is  his 
way  of  saying  that  the  white  chief  is  welcome  to  his 
village.  When  this  courtesy  is  not  shown,  it  is  regarded 
as  an  insult.  On  the  other  hand,  before  the  retinue 
departs  the  missionary  will  present  to  the  chief  a  gift, 
slightly  in  excess  of  the  value  of  the  articles  given  to 
him.  Among  themselves,  the  natives  are  most  hospitable. 
They  will  share  anything  they  possess.  Their  hospitality 
is  not  always,  although  it  frequently  is,  extended  to 
members  of  another  tribe,  because  they  are  likely  to  be 
accused  of  foul  play  in  case  of  the  sickness  or  death  of 
the  one  assisted. 

Housing. — The  missionary  notices  that  the  village 
contains  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  huts,  or  a  popu- 
lation of  five  hundred.  The  houses  stretch  along  each 
side  of  the  path,  which  has  now  widened  out  to  seventy- 
five  or  a  hundred  feet.  As  a  rule,  they  are  from  ten  to 
twelve  feet  apart.  In  size,  they  average  ten  feet  square, 
and  twelve  feet  to  the  comb.  There  is  usually  a  small 
verandah  extending  all  around  the  house.  The  walls 
are  of  mud  daubed  on  to  a  lattice  work  of  sticks,  and  the 
roof  is  of  grass.  The  doors  are  narrow  and  low.  One 
is  compelled  to  stoop  to  enter  many  of  them.  There  are 
no  windows.  A  loft  overhead  acts  as  a  storing  place 
for  a  few  bushels  of  corn,  peanuts,  and  other  foods.  The 
smoke  from  the  ever-present  fire  beneath  helps  to  drive 
insects  away,  but  it  has  no  terror  for  the  rats  which 
naturally  thrive  and  increase.  At  night  adults,  children, 
chickens,  goats,  and  sometimes  a  hog,  go  to  sleep  under 
the  same  roof.  If  the  man  is  a  polygamist,  he  will  pro- 
vide a  small  hut  for  each  wife.  Near  the  chief's  quarters 
will  be  found  an  open  shed  where  everything  connected 
with  village  life  is  discussed.  The  court  is  composed  of 
the  chief  and  the  head  men.    Their  authority  is  absolute. 


158      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Industries. — There  is  always  work  to  be  done.  At 
the  break  of  day  the  women  are  off  to  the  fields,  the  men 
to  the  forest.  The  young  girls,  as  soon  as  they  are 
capable  of  working,  assist  their  mothers  in  the  drudgery 
tasks  of  the  village.  They  help  grind  the  corn,  beat  the 
cassava,  go  to  the  spring,  get  the  firewood,  and  prepare 
the  meal.  The  young  boys  do  little  or  nothing.  The 
young  men  hunt,  fish,  and  trade.  The  older  men  make 
the  cloth,  weave  mats  and  baskets,  and  do  the  black- 
smithing.  The  elders,  as  has  been  said,  confine  them- 
selves chiefly  to  settling  disputes.  The  making  of  earthen 
pots,  which  is  quite  an  industry,  falls  to  the  lot  of 
the  women.  House  building  is  shared  equally  by  men 
and  women.  The  men  provide  the  sticks,  put  up  the 
frame  and  tie  on  the  grass.  The  women  carry  the  dirt, 
mix  it  with  water,  and  daub  it  on.  There  is  practically 
no  system  in  their  work.  The  time  element  is  a  non- 
essential. They  work  in  the  early  morning  and  the  late 
afternoon,  and  loaf  during  the  heat  of  the  day. 

The  Position  of  Woman. — From  the  above  it  may  be 
inferred  that  woman  is  a  mere  chattel,  the  plaything  of 
man.  Mrs.  A.  L.  Edmiston  has  described  aptly  their 
hard  lot.  She  says :  "A  heathen  man  in  Africa  does  very 
little  for  himself  that  his  wife  can  do  for  him.  She 
plants  his  field,  gathers  the  produce  and  carries  it  to 
market ;  she  cooks  his  food,  brings  his  wood  and  water, 
and  shaves  his  head.  She  smiles  when  he  is  pleased  and 
sheds  tears  when  he  is  wroth.  And  oh,  how  often  is  she 
the  victim  of  his  cruel  wrath !  For,  although  she  is  his 
wife,  she  is  also  his  slave  by  purchase.  He  may  beat 
her  at  will,  or  sell  her  to  a  more  cruel  master.  As  we 
advanced  up  the  rivers  and  into  the  interior,  we  see  the 
heathen  women  in  their  totally  depraved  and  degraded 
condition.  With  blank,  inexpressive,  care-worn  faces, 
greased  matted  hair,  tattooed  bodies,  their  only  garment 
the  size  of  the  hand,  they  may  be  seen  paddling  their 


ON   THE  TRAIL  1 59 

canoes  or  bartering  their  garden  products.     Life  to  them 
has  no  meaning,  no  beauty,  no  charm." 

DISAGREEABLE  EXPERIENCES 
Filth. — It  is  true  that  we  do  not  have  the  unpleasant 
odours  prevalent  in  the  average  Chinese  or  Korean  vil- 
lage. There  is  no  mud,  no  standing  water,  no  garbage 
cans,  no  refuse,  very  few  flies,  and,  consequently,  no 
stench.  The  porous  soil  absorbs  the  water,  while  hun- 
gry dogs,  sheep,  goats,  and  chickens,  which  forage  for 
their  meals,  keep  the  village  clean  of  any  matter  which 
might  decay  and  produce  an  odour.  Still  there  is  filth. 
The  people  know  nothing  of  sanitation.  If  they  bathe 
in  the  early  morning  that  will  suffice  them,  for  the  day. 
Having  no  chairs,  they  sit  in  the  dirt.  In  some  villages 
the  women"  smear  their  bodies  with  a  mixture  of  palm 
oils  and  red  powder.  In  their  eagerness  to  see  the  mis- 
sionary, they  leave  generous  smearing  of  red  on  his  hands 
and  clothing.  No  matter  how  often  one  uses  soap  and 
water,  he  is  never  rid,  on  the  trail,  of  the  uncomfortable 
feeling  that  he  is  dirty. 

Diseases. — The  constant  presence  of  the  sick  and 
dying  always  casts  a  gloom  over  one.  There  is  no  hos- 
pital or  segregated  camp  for  them.  Persons  with  lep- 
rosy, sleeping-sickness,  beri-beri,  and  venereal  troubles 
press  upon  one,  begging  for  medical  attention.  They 
confidently  believe  that  one  application  or  dose  of  the 
white  man's  medicine  will  cure  them.  Gaping  ulcers, 
hideous  burns  stare  one  in  the  face.  Small  babies,  dying 
from  mal-nutrition,  or  with  distended  stomachs  due  to 
overfeeding,  touch  the  depths  of  one's  compassion. 

Noises. — Is  there  ever  a  quiet  moment  in  the  Congo 
village?  Never  during  the  day  time  and  rarely  at  night. 
If  the  moon  is  bright,  the  stillness  of  night  may  not  be 
expected  until  long  after  midnight.  One  never  grows 
accustomed  to  the  noises,  he  merely  endures  them.  The 
people  are  boisterous.     Their  voices  are  high-pitched, 


l60      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

and  when  excited,  they  scream.  All  talk  at  once.  There 
is  always  some  hot  discussion  taking  place.  One  thinks 
that  a  fight  is  inevitable,  but  the  disputants  are  only 
trying  to  make  themselves  heard.  Often  there  is  a 
family  row  in  progress.  The  injured  party  loudly  pro- 
claims his  troubles.  They  keep  no  secrets.  The  hungry 
dogs,  little  more  than  skeletons,  do  not  bark,  but  emit 
piercing  yelps  whenever  a  well-directed  cuff  lands.  Bleat- 
ing sheep--and,  oh,  w-hat  rasping  voices  they  have! — 
and  lecherous  goats  nearly  diive  one  to  detraction.  Sick 
babies  cry  incessantly.  After  one  has  sought  his  cot, 
perhaps  with  a  headache  or  a  slight  temperature,  the 
dancing  begins.  High  above  the  beat,  beat,  beat  off  the 
drums,  he  hears  the  shouts  and  songs  of  the  dancers. 
Finally,  amid  all  this  din,  he  falls  asleep.  But,  before 
daybreak  he  is  awakened  by  the  monotonous  chanting 
of  some  father  still  mourning  for  the  child  which  died 
six  months  ago.  It  is  strange  that  they  should  select 
the  early  hours  of  the  morning  for  the  display  of  their 
grief.  It  requires  much  grace  to  remain  calm  and  even- 
tempered  in  the  midst  of  such  vexatious  disturbances. 
But  one  must. 

RELIGIOUS    CUSTOMS 

No  Atheists. — We  have  never  met  an  atheist  among 
the  natives.  A  Supreme  Being,  who  at  least  creates  even 
if  he  does  not  afterwards  direct  affairs  by  His  providence, 
is  recognized  by  all.  But  he  is  an  absentee  God,  in- 
terested only  in  the  great  things  of  the  world,  and  not  in 
the  ordinary  affairs  of  his  creatures.  Hence  he  is  not 
worshipped.  There  are  several  names  by  which  the  dif- 
ferent tribes  designate  him.  Nzambi,  Nfidi,  Mukulu,  Mu- 
loho,  are  some  of  them. 

Religious. — We  have  never  seen  a  native  who  was 
not  deeply  religious.  One  needs  only  to  look  about  him, 
as  Paul  did  at  Athens,  to  discover  that  the  people  are 
very  religious.     Fetishes  are  everywhere,  on   the   roof 


ON   THE  TRAIL  l6l 

of  the  house,  dangling  from  the  ceiling,  tied  to  the  babes 
in  arms,  encircling  men's  heads  and  women's  abdomens, 
tied  to  the  beard  or  even  the  great  toe.  The  corn  field 
has  its  charm.  Ancestral  mounds  apperr  before  each 
house.  Idols  are  found  at  the  entrances  to  the  village 
and  on  the  ash  heaps.  This  form  of  religiousness  is 
known  as  animism,  that  is,  the  worship  of  spirits.  The 
fetish  is  not  worshipped,  but  the  spirit  localized  there. 
These  spirits  are  malevolent,  but  can  be  made  benevolent 
through  propitiation.  They  can  love,  hate,  be  grateful 
or  revengeful.  One  spirit  can  be  pitted  against  another. 
Hence  there  are  both  defensive  and  offensive  charms. 

A  Trinity  of  Spirits. — Every  person  possesses  three 
spirits.  First,  the  physical  life,  which  is  inherent  in  the 
flesh,  as  the  life,  or  sap,  in  the  tree.  Second,  the  health 
life,  which  is  quite  different  from  the  first.  The  health 
may  be  caught  and  tied  to  a  tree.  In  this  case,  the 
body  is  not  dead,  though  it  may  grow  weaker  according 
to  the  length  of  time  the  health  life  is  retained  in  the 
forest.  The  body  will  become  strong  again,  provided 
the  evil  spirit  can  be  propitiated  to  return  the  health 
life.  This,  at  bottom,  is  the  whole  cause  of  witchcraft. 
Third,  the  disembodied  spirit.  Belief  in  this  causes  an- 
cestral worship.  This  spirit  can  hate  and  take  vengeance. 
It  may  return  and  do  much  mischief.  This  idea  natural- 
ly restrains  the  people  from  certain  forms  of  wickedness. 
A  woman  will  commit  suicide,  saying  to  her  husband  : 
"I  will  return  and  haunt  you,  for  you  have  treated  me 
badly."  Again,  the  witch-doctor  may  send  a  spirit  into 
an  animal  or  into  the  lightning,  when  he  wishes  to  wreak 
vengeance  on  some  one.  There  is  a  future  abode,  but 
the  ideas  of  it  are  very  vague.  They  know  nothing  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  heaven  and  hell. 

A  Religion  of  Fear. — Their  religion  is  one  of  fear. 
Terror  surrounds  them  by  day  and  by  night.  The  world 
for  them  is  dominated  by  demons.    Although  by  nature 


[62       TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

deeply  religious,  their  religion  brings  them  no  comfort, 
no  gladness,  no  hope.  It  is  seldom  that  one  hears  hearty 
laughter  in  a  heathen  village.  How  can  fear  have  fellow- 
ship with  mirth?  Those  things  which  make  one  buoyant 
and  lovable  are  absent  in  their  lives.  When  most  re- 
ligious they  are  most  fiendish. 

THE  VILLAGE  CHURCH 

There  is  one  thing  that  stands  out  in  bold  relief 
against  the  dark  back  ground  of  heathenism.  It  is 
the  influence  of  the  village  church.  The  missionary  no- 
tices at  once  the  striking  contrast  between  the  Christian 
and  the  unbeliever.  Everything  about  the  Christian  is 
different.  He  is  neat  in  appearance  and  there  is  an  air 
of  cleanliness  about  him.  No  fetish  dangles  from  his 
body.  He  is  more  considerate  of  woman.  The  very  ex- 
pression of  the  face  proclaims  his  emancipation  from  the 
bondage  of  fear.  He  exhibits  an  authority  which  is  ab- 
sent in  the  other.  Deference  and  respect  are  accorded 
him,  even  by  the  chief.  In  his  eye  is  the  light  of  hope 
and  joy  and  peace.  There  is  no  ancestral  mound,  nor 
any  idol,  before  his  house.  He  is  no  longer  filled  with 
the  dread  of  the  demon  world  about  him.  In  yonder 
church  shed  he  has  learned  of  the  true  Spirit  of  God, 
whose  every  act  is  good,  and  knows  that  union  with  Him 
means  that  all  the  infinite  resources  of  God  are  at  his 
disposal.  At  last  he  is  assured  that  "perfect  love  casteth 
out  fear." 

A  Miniature  Mission  Station. — The  work  in  the  vil- 
lage is  simply  a  replica  of  that  on  the  Mission  Station. 
Everything  revolves  around  the  evangelist,  just  as  the 
missionary  is  the  center  of  every  activity  on  the  Station. 
As  a  rule  his  home  is  in  the  enclosure  with  the  church 
shed.  There  are  also  several  houses  for  the  assistant 
teachers,  the  "pupil"  elders  and  the  "pupil"  deacons.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  that  the  houses  within  this  fence 


ON   THE  TRAIL  1 63 

are  usually  the  only  ones  in  the  village  which  are  white- 
washed. This  in  itself  is  an  evidence  of  superiority.  The 
church  building  is  nothing  but  a  shed,  without  walls,  but 
with  a  vast  roof,  that  extends  over  its  supports  like  a 
broad  verandah.  The  word  of  the  evangelist  is  law  with 
the  group  of  believers.  They  yield  him  instant  obedi- 
ence. However,  his  authority  often  extends  even  fur- 
ther. If  he  has  a  dominant  personality,  he  may  be  in- 
vested by  the  people  with  large  powers.  This  is  a  tribute 
to  the  marvelous  influence  of  the  Christian  religion. 

The  Call  of  the  Drum. — Reference  has  been  made  to 
the  annoyance  caused  by  the  beating  of  drums.  But 
there  is  one  drum  that  sounds  an  entirely  different  note. 
Instead  of  calling  the  people  to  participate  in  the  wildest 
orgies,  this  particular  drum  summons  them  to  worship 
God.  Its  clear  note  sounds  out  at  the  break  of  day  for 
morning  prayers ;  at  nine  o'clock,  for  day  school  and 
catechumen  classes;  at  two  o'clock,  for  preaching  serv- 
ices ;  and  at  dusk,  on  Wednesday  and  Sunday  nights,  for 
evening  prayers.  Again,  it  calls  the  hour  for  the  teach- 
ers to  assemble  under  the  leadership  of  the  evangelist, 
and  for  the  class  of  women,  conducted  by  the  wife  of 
the  evangelist.  In  the  early  mornings  the  assistant  teach- 
ers scatter  to  the  near-by  villages  to  instruct  the  groups 
of  inquirers  found  there. 

The  Catechumenate.— Are  the  African  converts  re-  -4*~ 
ceived  into  the  Church  too  fast?  Have  the  bars  been 
let  down  so  that  the  step  from  raw  heathenism  to  Chris- 
tianity is  made  easy  for  them?  We  have  heard  such 
implications.  Perhaps  this  is  because  the  Congo  Mis- 
sion is  more  fruitful  than  any  other  which  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church  supports.  To  the  first  question  we 
reply,  "By  no  means  as  fast  as  they  desire  to  be  received." 
As  a  rule  only  one  in  three  examined  by  the  missionary 
is  accepted  for  Church  membership.  In  1919,  there  were 
1,737  additions  on  profession  of  faith  out  of  a  total  of 


164      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

14.994  inquirers.  To  the  second  question  we  answer, 
"The  greatest  care  is  exercised  lest  unworthy  persons 
be  admitted.    They  must  undergo  most  rigid  tests." 

Tests. — The  inquirer  must  be  enrolled  in  a  catechu- 
men class  and  is  required  to  attend  daily,  for  a  period 
of  four  months,  unless  he  is  able  to  present  a  reasonable 
excuse.  During  two  months  he  studies  the  Catechism, 
described  in  chapter  two  of  this  book,  the  other  two 
months  being  devoted  to  the  larger  study  of  Christian 
doctrine  and  test  questions.  Then  he  may  be  examined 
and  if  found  satisfactory,  he  is  placed  in  a  probationer's 
class  for  two  more  months.  Hence  the  minimum  time 
for  testing  a  candidate  is  six  months.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  majorit)'  are  held  back  anywhere  from  one  year 
to  three  years.  Further,  no  boy  or  girl  under  sixteen 
years  of  age  may  be  accepted  for  baptism  until  satisfac- 
tory evidence  of  an  active  interest  in  education  is  given. 
Regular  attendance  on  all  Christian  services  is  required. 
The  actual  examination  is  severe  and  consists  of  two 
parts.  First,  the  applicant  must  be  able  to  recite  al- 
most verbatim  the  entire  Catechism.  With  us,  the  miss- 
>  mg^jiLlhxeewords  means  rejection.  This  part  is  con- 
jy^ ducted  by  the  superintendents,  or  elders.  Second,  the 
missionary,  or  the  native  pastor,  and  often  an  elder,  con- 
ducts an  intimate  examination  of  the  applicant's  actual 
knowledge  and  personal  experience.  We  give  here  a 
sample  examination.  Space  does  not  permit  the  giving 
of  all  the  seventy-five  or  more  questions  usually  asked : 

I.     The  Origin  of  Sin  and  the  Fall  of  Man. 

1.  Why  do  you  want   to  be  a   Christian?     How 
long  do  you  expect  to  remain  a  Christian? 

2.  Are  you  a  sinner?    How  did  you  become  a  sin- 
ner? 

3.  Who    is    Satan?      What    was    Satan's    sin? 

4.  What  was  the  result  of  our  first  parents'  sin 
to   them?     To   their  posterity? 


ON   THE  TRAIL  165 

II.    The  Atonement. 

A.     God's  Part. 

1.  How  did  God  show  His  love  for  fallen  man? 

2.  What  covenant  did  God  make  with  Christ? 

3.  Will  God  save  all  people? 

B.    Christ's    Part. 

1.  Who  is   Jesus   Christ?     What  is  it  to  accept 
Him? 

2.  Have    you    accepted    Him    and    do    you    trust 
Him? 

3.  What   did    Christ   do   in    order   to   save  man? 

4.  When  He  arose,  did  His  body  remain  in  the 


grave 


5.  Where  is  He  now?     What  is  He  doing? 

6.  Will   He   return   again?     When?     Will    there 
be    a    resurrection    of    the    dead? 

C.   The    Holy   Spirit's   Part. 

1.     Who  is  the  Spirit?     What  is  His  work? 
3.    What  is  meant  by  a  change  of  heart? 


III.    The  Conditions  of  Salvation. 

1.  What    must    one    do    to    be    saved? 

2.  Have  you  grieved  over  your  sins?     Have  you 
confessed   them   to   God? 

3.  Have  you  definitely   renounced   the   evil   cus- 
toms of  your  tribe?     Name  them? 

4.  What  is  baptism?     Why  be  baptized? 

5.  Why    do    Christians   often    fall   into    sin? 

6.  When  a  person  thus  falls,  what  must  he  do  to 
obtain    pardon? 


IV.    The    Christian's    Work. 

1.  Will  you  remember  the  Sabbath  to  keep  it? 

2.  Will  vou  attend  daily  Divine  worship? 

3.  Will    you    worship    God    in    your    home? 

4.  Will  you   try   to  bring  others   to   Christ? 

5.  What  is  prayer?     Do  you  pray  regularly!* 

6.  Will  you   give  of  your  substance  to   God? 

7.  Do  you  attend  school? 


l66      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSrEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

iS       V.     Catholicism. 

i.  Who  is  Mary?  Where  is  she?  Where  is  her 
body? 

2.  Has  she  power  to  intercede  for  us?    Why  not? 

3.  Has  the  priest  this  power? 

4.  Have   we   more   than    one   mediator? 

VI.     Marriage,  Medicine,  Native  Customs. 

1.  Will  you  make  marriage  a  subject  of  prayer 
and  ask  God  to  raise  up  for  you  a  Christian 
mate?  Will  you  endeavor  to  live  peaceably, 
patiently,  and   loyally  with  your  mate? 

2.  If  God  denies  you  a  child,  will  you  accept  the 
denial  with  Christian  fortitude? 

3.  Why    is    polygamy    wrong? 

4.  Will  you  force  your  child  into  marriage  in 
childhood,    or    into    polygamy? 

5.  When  sickness  comes  to  your  child,  will  you 
tie  medicine  on  him,  or  make  medicine,  or  con- 
sult the  witch-doctor?  What  will  you  do  when 
your  husband  (wife)  ties  medicine  on  your 
child? 

6.  What  do  you  believe  about  lightning?  Ghosts? 
Witchcraft?  Power  of  spirits  to  enter  into  ani- 
mals to  kill  other  people? 

7.  What  kind  of  work  do  you  perform  with  your 
hands?  Whose  palaver  is  the  work  of  the 
field? 

When  the  applicant  has  answered  satisfactorily  all  the 
questions  put  to  him,  it  is  assumed  that  he  is  ready  to 
be  received  into  the  fellowship  and  the  communion  of 
the  Church.    Indeed,  the  bars  have  not  been  let  down! 

The  Final  Test. — Are  these  converts  capable  of  un- 
derstanding the  loftier  truths  of  the  Christian  religion, 
and  do  they  take  on  the  finer  graces  of  Christian  char- 
acter? Dr.  Cornelius  H.  Patton,  whose  recent  book, 
The  Lure  of  Africa,  is  the  result  of  personal  experiences 
during  an  extended  tour  of  this  great  continent,  writes 
in  this  connection :  "As  to  the  ability  of  native  Chris- 
tians to  appreciate  the  lofty  truths  of  our  religion  and 


ON   THE  TRAIL 


167 


to  take  on  its  graces  of  character,  'the  evidence  is  abun- 
dant and  conclusive.  The  African  is  of  a  deeply  religious 
nature.  When  once  he  is  freed  from  fear,  and  discovers 
that,  humble  as  he  is,  he  can  talk  and  walk  with  the  in- 
finite God,  he  not  infrequently  comes  into  spiritual  ex- 
perience of  a  high  order.  The  very  contrast  between 
his  present  position  as  a  child  of  God  and  the  heathen 
darkness  out  of  which  he  came  helps  him  to  aspire.  The 
experience  is  so  new,  so  wonderful,  so  limitless  in  soul 
possibilities  that  he  often  progresses  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
Entering  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  as  a  little  child,  in  the 
simplicity  and  openness  of  his  mind,  he  sometimes  sees 
things  which  more  cultured  Christians  overlook." 


.  feA 

..'WKL 

»:" 

^S^ ._ 

;*^BBy ' 

Luebo  "Pullman" 

The  only  mode  of  traveling  except  walking 

Mrs.  R.  R.  King 


Southern 
Presbyterian  Congo 

Mission 


UnoccupiedIerritory 

OF  AFRICA 


CHAPTER  VI. 

jf  ortoarti ! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Jf  ortoarb ! 

i.     The  Peril  of  Islam. 

(i)     Islam  on  the  March. 

(2)  Reasons  for  its  Success. 

(3)  The  Evils  of  Islam. 

(4)  Our    Duty. 

2.  The  Peril  of  Romanism. 

(1)  Our  Attitude. 

(2)  The  Attractions  of  Romanism. 

(3)  The  Evils  of  Romanism. 

(4)  Our  Opportunities. 

3.  The  Peril  of  Secular  Civilization. 

(i)  The   Credits   of   Civilization. 

(2)  The  Debits  of  Civilization. 

(3)  Striking  the  Balance. 

(4)  The  Remedy. 

4.  The  Challenge  of  Open  Doors. 

(1)  The  Congo. 

(2)  The  Kasai. 

(3)  Plastic  Peoples. 

5.  The  Challenge  of  an  Unfinished  Task. 

6.  The  Challenge  of  a  Great  Objective. 

(1)  Volunteers. 

(2)  Wealth. 

(3)  Prayer. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

jfortoarb ! 

Mighty  forces  are  at  work  in  Africa  which  threaten 
not  only  the  advance,  but  the  very  existence  of  Chris- 
tianity. There  are  great  perils  which  call  for  strong  of- 
fensive measures.  The  Church  cannot  afford  to  mark 
time,  nor  must  she  be  content  with  a  purely  defensive 
warfare.  Forward  must  be  her  slogan,  or  she  will  soon 
find  herself  engulfed  in  the  sweeping  torrents  of  Islam, 
Romanism,  and  Materialism.  Let  us  examine  briefly 
these  three  menaces. 

THE  PERIL  OF  ISLAM 

Islam  on  the  March. — "In  the  opinion  of  many  mis- 
sionary leaders  the  Mohammedan  advance  in  Central  Af- 
rica constitutes  the  greatest  crisis  before  the  Christian 
Churches  today.  The  World's  Missionary  Conference  at 
Edinburg,  in  1910,  after  reviewing  the  situation  in  every 
land,  called  particular  attention  to  what  is  going  on 
in  the  heart  of  Africa.  The  absorption  of  native  races 
into  Islam  is  proceeding  rapidly  and  continuously  in 
practically  all  parts  of  the  continent.  The  conference  at 
Lucknow,  India,  called  in  191 1  to  consider  exclusively 
Moslem  problems,  issued  definite  suggestions  for  the 
meeting  of  this  crisis.  A  chain  of  mission  stations  across 
Africa  was  proposed  for  the  holding  back  of  the  Moslem 
advance,  and  the  mission  boards  were  called  upon  to  unite 
their  efforts  in  such  a  movement.  Immediate,  concerted 
action  they  considered  essential  if  the  situation  is  to  be 
saved.  Other  authorities  might  be  quoted,  all  urging 
the  critical  nature  of  this  Mohammedan  drive.  The  Rev. 
W.  J.  W-  Roome,  writing  in  The  International  Review  of 


\~2      TRIUMPHS    OF    THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

Missions,  maintains  that  the  whole  strategy  of  missions 
in  Africa  should  be  viewed  in  relation  to  Islam." — C.  H. 
Patton. 

Reasons  for  its  Success. — In  the  first  place,  every 
Moslem  is  a  missionary.  By  practice,  more  than  by  pre- 
cept, he  extends  and  commends  his  religion.  He  is  faith- 
ful in  prayer.  No  matter  in  what  duty  he  may  be  engaged, 
no  matter  in  what  environment  he  may  find  himself,  five 
times  a  day  he  turns  to  Mecca  and  recites  his  prayers. 
He  is  punctilious  in  performing  his  ablutions.  Many 
pairs  of  eyes  may  be  upon  him  as  he  proceeds  to  wash 
his  hands  and  his  feet.  Everybody  knows  that  these 
ablutions  are  not  due  to  his  exaggerated  love  for  clean- 
liness, but  are  the  ceremonial  washings  prescribed  by 
the  Koran.  In  the  early  days  when  Islam  swept  North 
Africa,  the  religion  of  the  Prophet  was  spread  by  means 
of  violence.  The  sword  swept  whole  tribes  into  the 
ranks  of  Mohammed.  Today  entire  tribes  are  also  be- 
ing gained,  but  through  the  quiet,  subtle  influence  of 
the  missionary  trader.  Clad  in  a  long  flowing  robe,  he 
enters  quietly  into  a  village  and  announces  his  intention 
of  remaining  for  a  few  days.  The  chief  is  propitiated 
by  the  gift  of  a  few  articles  of  small  intrinsic  value  but 
of  great  local  worth.  He  trades  with  the  villagers  and 
propagates  his  faith.  After  a  few  such  visits,  the  chief, 
being  propitiated  each  time  with  more  valuable  gifts, 
adopts  the  missionary's  robe  and  tries  to  imitate  him 
at  his  ablutions  and  prayers.  The  chief  being  won,  the 
subjection  of  the  whole  tribe  is  but  a  matter  of  time. 
And  thus  does  Mohammedanism  extend  and  consolidate 
its  influence  in  pagan  Africa. 

The  Attitude  of  Governments. — The  Mohammedan 
advance  has  received  a  great  impetus  from  the  attitude 
of  the  European  governments  now  in  control  of  the  Su- 
dan. Since  the  Anglo-French  agreement  in  1904,  the 
eastern  section  of  this  great  territory,  which  stretches 


forward!  173 

from  coast  to  coast  and  is  some  seven  hundred  miles 
wide,  is  known  as  the  Egyptian  Sudan ;  the  western  sec- 
tion is  called  the  French  Sudan.  Its  population  is  about 
40,000,000.  Working  in  close  harmony,  the*  English  and 
the  French  have  maintained  law  and  order,  suppressed 
tribal  warfare,  and  assured  freedom  of  trade  and  travel. 
These  ends,  while  highly  desirable,  have  deprived  the 
pagan  chiefs  of  their  one  protection  against  the 
aggression  of  the  Mohammedan  rulers.  Forced  to  give 
up  their  swords,  these  Moslem  chiefs  are  now  accom^ 
plishing  their  purpose  by  means  of  peaceful  trade.  They 
are  penetrating  into  every  region.  "Had  England  and 
France  stopped  at  this  point,  no  just  complaint  could  be 
made;  but  unfortunately  they  went  a  step  farther  and 
practically  became  patrons  of  the  Mohammedan  faith. 
Christian  missionaries  are  at  liberty  to  settle  and  work 
among  the  heathen  tribes,  and  in  certain  large  centers, 
like  Khartum,  but  in  areas  which  the  government  has 
designated  as  Moslem,  Christian  activity  is  forbidden." 
— Patton. 

Its  Attractiveness. — Mohammedanism  presents  sev- 
eral attractive  features  to  the  pagan  mind.  It  is  a  simple 
religion  and  easy  to  be  understood.  Its  chief  tenet  is, 
"There  is  no  god  but  God;  Mohammed  is  the  apostle  of 
God."  Its  devotees  are  intense  in  their  belief  and  propa- 
gate it  with  an  assurance  which  arrests  attention.  It  is 
related  that  Dr.  Jno.  R.  Mott  once  asked  an  Egyptian 
girl  if  she  was  a  Mohammedan.  "Yes,"  she  replied, 
"thank  God,  I  am  a  Mohammedan."  This  religion  ac- 
commodates itself  to  the  lusts  of  men;  it  tolerates  both 
polygamy  and  slavery.  Moreover,  it  comes  to  the  African 
from  men  like  himself.  The  Arab  is  recognized  as  be- 
longing more  nearly  to  the  same  race  as  the  negro. 
Intermarriage  is  practiced.  The  Mohammedan  places 
himself  on  the  same  level  with  the  pagan.  Lastly, 
Mohammedanism  brings  a  higher  degree  of  culture  and 


174      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

education  than  the  pagan  has  ever  known,  yet  not  so 
high  that  he  cannot  attain  unto  it.  With  these  advan- 
tages, together  with  political  stability,  commercial  activ- 
ity, and  a  measure  of  civilization,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
Islam  is  making  such  rapid  strides. 

The  Evils  of  Mohammedanism. — Political  expediency 
has  prompted  the  attitude  of  France  and  England 
towards  the  Moslem  religion.  But  there  are  certain  in- 
dividuals who  seem  to  think  that  Mohammedanism  is  a 
good  preparation  for  Christianity  as  the  final  stage  in 
the  progress  of  the  African.  Mr.  E.  D.  Morel,  who  did 
so  much  to  expose  the  Congo  atrocities,  thinks  that  the 
continent  will  undoubtedly  become  Mohammedan,  and 
that  this  will  be  a  right  and  good  thing. 

Although  Islam  may  bring  certain  advantages  to  the 
pagan  African,  yet  it  is  sure  to  blight  him  just  as  it  has 
blighted  every  nation  which  has  come  under  its  domina- 
tion. What  has  it  done  for  North  Africa  and  Turkey? 
It  will  drag  down  any  nation.  It  is  essentially  anti- 
Christian.  It  seeks  to  blot  out  Christianity.  Sensual- 
ism, polygamy,  slavery,  massacre,  hatred,  the  degrada- 
tion of  woman,  fatalism,  and  the  practice  of  magic — 
these  are  the  fruits  of  Islam. 

THE  NEW  ADVANCE 

The  reader  may  wonder  what  this  discussion  may 
have  to  do  with  the  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission.  Let 
it  be  remembered  that  Islam  is  an  impending  peril,  which 
is  not  only  sweeping  down  from  the  north,  but  is  also 
flanking  the  Congo  on  the  left.  "The  startling  thing  in 
the  situation  is  the  new  religious  impetus  which  has 
come  to  the  Arabs  and  to  the  converted  tribes,  as  the 
result  of  modern  conditions.  Having  remained  quies- 
cent for  some  three  centuries,  the  hosts  of  Islam  once 
more  are  on  the  march.  The  remaining  sections  of  the 
Sudan  are  being  won  over,  tribe  by  tribe,  and  Moham- 


forward!  175 

medan  missionaries  are  pressing  southward  into  the 
Congo  country  and  along  the  two  coasts.  Nigeria,  one 
of  the  richest  and  most  populous  sections  of  the  conti- 
nent, is  now  two-thirds  Mohammedan.  The  Swahili, 
the  dominant  tribe  in  British  East  Africa,  are  becoming 
Mohammedan.  The  Swahili,  being  the  artisans  of  East 
Africa,  are  in  great  demand  in  the  interior.  They  carry 
their  religion  wherever  they  go.  In  German  East  Africa 
one-sixth  of  the  population  has  recently  become  Mo- 
hammedan. Even  in  Nyasaland,  below  German  East, 
not  less  than  50,000  natives  have  lately  been  converted 
to  Islam.  To  make  matters  worse  we  are  learning  now 
of  Christian  villages  in  West  Africa  which,  under  the 
pressure  of  Mohammedan  neighbors,  have  deserted 
Christ  and  gone  over  to  the  rival  faith.  Until  the  facts 
were  made  known  at  the  Edinburg  Conference,  Chris- 
tian people  had  no  idea  of  this  new  Mohammedan  peril. 
They  are  beginning  now  to  realize  that  all  central  Africa 
is  threatened,  that  this  is  not  a  matter  of  the  neglect  of 
the  Church  five  hundred  years  ago,  but  of  the  neglect 
of  the  Church  today.  The  missionary  movement  of  the 
Church  had  not  begun  or  even  been  dreamed  of  when 
Islam  won  her  initial  victories  in  the  Sudan ;  but  this 
new  advance  finds  the  churches  supposedly  girded  for 
the  task  of  winning  the  world.  Surely  we  must  move 
quickly  if  we  are  to  save  the  situation  in  Central  Africa." 
— Patton. 

Our  Duty. — It  is  our  duty,  and  the  duty  of  every 
missionary  society  in  the  Congo,  to  gird  ourselves 
against  this  menace.  While  the  opportunity  is  ours,  we 
must  bend  every  energy  to  make  Christ  the  dominating 
influence  among  Congo  tribes.  It  has  been  shown  that 
after  a  few  years  the  native  mind  becomes  set  in  the 
Mohammedan  mold,  making  it  harder  to  win  him  to 
Christianity  than  before  he  dropped  his  pagan  life.  We 
must  see  to  it  that  the  minds  of  our  natives  are  set  in  the 


1/6      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

mold  of  Christ.  The  advance  of  Islam  must  give  way 
before  the  advance  of  Christ.  In  the  performance  of 
this  duty  we  must  not  be  laggards. 

THE  PERIL  OF  ROMANISM 

Our  Attitude. — We  are  well  aware  that  criticism  may 
come  from  certain  liberal  Protestants,  who  know  Cathol- 
icism only  as  it  is  practiced  in  free  countries,  because 
we  maintain  that,  as  a  menace  to  the  progress  of  Chris- 
tianity, Romanism  is  on  a  par  with  Mohammedanism. 
As  related  to  the  Belgian  Congo,  Islam  is  an  impending 
peril,  while  Romanism  is  an  actual,  present  peril.  Only 
those  who  come  in  contact  with  Rome  can  appreciate 
Rome.  "You  will  have  gathered,"  writes  Rev.  George 
Grenfell  to  Mr.  Baynes,  the  Secretary  of  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,  "from  my  reference  to  Roman  Cath- 
olic missionaries,  that  we  are  face  to  face  with  forces 
which  aim  at  minimizing  our  influence  at  every  point. 
In  any  country  such  opposition  would  be  a  serious 
factor,  but  in  the  Congo  State,  where  Roman  Catholic 
missionaries  have  the  active  support  of  the  Government, 
it  constitutes  a  difficulty  which  people  in  a  really  free 
country  cannot  understand."  In  the  consideration  of 
this  peril,  we  should  sympathetically  remember  that  the 
priests  of  the  Congo  come  out  under  a  severe  handicap. 
They  are  taught  from  infancy  to  believe  in  the  infalli- 
bility of  the  Pope  and  to  hate  us  with  a  bitter  hatred. 
At  the  beginning  of  Congo  missions,  the  College  of 
Propaganda  at  Rome  issued  this  Encyclical,  "The  heretics 
are  to  be  followed  up  and  their  efforts  harassed  and 
destroyed."  These  priests  are  absolutely  subordinate 
to  their  superiors.  No  doubt  many  of  them  go  out  with 
no  individual  call  but  because  sent  by  a  superior,  which 
makes  them  more  or  less  inefficient.  "They  are  led," 
says  one  of  them  who  has  recently  become  a  Protestant, 
"along    carefully    planned    ways,    and    those    ways    are 


forward!  177 

wholly  outside  the  real  world.  Many  priests,  once  they 
realize  their  position,  would  gladly  go  back  and  start 
their  life  on  other  lines,  but  they  are  fettered  by  every 
kind  of  moral  and  material  ties  and  dare  not  shake  off 
their  chains."  They  have  had  little  opportunity  to  see 
and  understand  Protestantism.  In  view  of  these  facts, 
we  can  afford  to  be  charitable  and  long-suffering.  But 
our  sympathy  should  not  blind  us  to  the  real  nature  of 
Catholicism. 

Its  Attractions. — Catholicism,  like  Islam,  naturally 
makes  a  strong  appeal  to  the  native  mind.  It  is  a  most 
convenient  form  of  religion.  It  does  not  require  him  to 
give  up  his  idolatry,  his  superstitious  practices,  and  his 
animistic  beliefs.  Rather,  it  confirms  him  in  them.  For 
the  worship  of  ancestors  is  substituted  the  worship  of 
saints ;  for  heathen  idolatry,  the  worship  of  Catholic 
images  and  Mariolatry;  for  the  fetishes  of  the  witch- 
doctor, the  Rosary,  the  Cross,  and  other  amulets  which 
the  native  regards  as  more  potent  because  of  their  asso- 
ciation with  the  white  man. 

Catholicism  follows  the  line  of  least  resistance,  and 
is  an  easy  religion  for  the  ignorant  and  degraded.  Hence 
its  attractiveness.  Then,  Catholicism  offers  a  smatter- 
ing of  education,  but  as  we  shall  see  later  it  is  only  sur- 
face deep.  They  teach  a  great  deal  of  polemics.  Their 
evangelists  know  much,  real  or  false,  about  Luther,  Cal- 
vin, Knox,  Zwingli,  and  other  reformers.  In  the  few 
Government  Schools  run  by  Catholic  Orders,  industrial 
training  is  given.  However  meagre  the  schooling,  it  is 
nevertheless  more  than  the  raw  native  gets.  Again,  the 
Catholics  make  much  of  the  teaching  of  French,  the 
official  language.  The  native  is  eager  to  speak  any 
foreign  language,  but  especially  French.  It  gives  him  a 
superiority  over  the  average  native  and  opens  to  him 
positions  of  material  advantage.  For  instance,  prac- 
tically all  State  interpreters  are  Catholics.     Further,  to 


I78      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE    GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

be  a  Catholic  means  political  power  and  preferment. 
Catholic  claimants  almost  invariably  inherit  the  chief- 
tainships, whether  their  claims  are  legitimate  or  not. 
In  the  Kasai,  for  years  it  has  been  almost  impossible  for 
a  Protestant  to  receive  justice  in  matters  of  religion. 
The  power  of  Catholicism  is  the  power  of  the  State. 
The  native  is  not  blind.  It  is  easy  to  be  a  Catholic,  it  is 
hard  to  be  a  Protestant.  In  view  of  these  apparent 
attractions,  it  is  not  surprising  that  large  numbers  of 
the  natives  are,  at  least,  nominal  Catholics. 

THE  EVILS  OF  ROMANISM 

Whatever  Catholicism  may  do  to  exalt  itself  as  the 
true  religion  of  Christ,  it  cannot  hide,  even  to  the  igno- 
rant native,  the  glaring  defects  of  its  system. 

Destructive  to  Morals. — "To  the  Protestant  the  idea 
of  religion  without  morals  is  inconceivable,  but  South 
American  Romanism  divorces  morals  and  religion.  It 
is  quite  possible  to  break  any  command  of  the  Deca- 
logue and  yet  to  be  a  devoted,  faithful  Romanist." 
— C.  W.  Drees.  What  is  true  of  South  America  is 
certainly  true  of  the  Congo.  Witness  the  conduct  of 
white  traders  and  Government  officials,  who,  by  their 
lives  of  open  shame,  place  a  premium  on  adultery.  Make 
the  sayings  of  Pater  Nosters  and  Ave  Marias  a  substi- 
tute for  righteousness,  and  an  indulgence  for  sins  past 
and  future,  and  who  needs  to  think  seriously  of  his 
moral  conduct?  Make  truth  a  mere  matter  of  con- 
venience and  it  will  soon  be  undistinguishable  from  a 
lie.  The  confessional  is  the  safety  valve  for  the  in- 
dulgence of  the  most  unbridled  lusts  among  both  white 
and  black. 

Destructive  to  Education. — "Romanism  can  flourish 
only  in  the  soil  of  ignorance.  Its  silly  superstitions  are 
revolting  to  a  mind  which  can  reason.  Enlightenment 
is  its  seal  of  death ;  hence  education  in  any  true  sense  is 


forward!  179 

never  fostered  by  the  Papacy." — LaFetra.  Education 
outside  of  the  control  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is 
a  damnable  heresy.  The  education  which  it  gives  is 
most  superficial.  Only  teachers  and  evangelists  receive 
schooling,  and  it  relates  merely  to  Catholic  tenets.  The 
great  masses  are  purposely  left  in  ignorance.  If  enlight- 
enment of  mind  has  anything  to  do  with  civilization 
what  hope  is  there  in  Catholicism?  Is  it  possible  for  a 
religion  of  darkness  to  become  a  dispenser  of  light? 

Destructive  to  Freedom  of  Religion. — In  the  Canon- 
ical Laws  of  Roman  Catholicism  it  is  expressly  declared 
that  "the  State  has  not  the  right  to  leave  every  man  free 
to  profess  and  embrace  whatever  religion  he  shall  deem 
true;"  that  "Roman  Catholicism  has  the  right  to  require 
that  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  shall  be  the  only 
religion  of  the  nation,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others." 
This  is  the  policy  which  they  have  valiantly  endeavored 
to  carry  out  in  the  Congo.  Their  success  has  been 
marked. 

Destructive  to  Freedom  of  Government. — In  19 14  we 
attempted  to  build  a  chapel  in  a  village  near  Lusambo 
at  the  request  of  a  small  group  of  inquirers.  The  right 
was  refused  by  the  head  chief,  a  nominal  Catholic.  An 
appeal  was  made  to  the  Commissaire  of  the  District, 
who  upheld  the  native  chief.  A  further  appeal  was  made 
to  the  Governor  General  at  Boma.  His  answer  came 
back  in  unequivocal  terms :  "The  native  chiefs  cannot 
oppose  themselves  to  the  circulation  of  catechists  in  the 
villages,  unless  the  public  order  demands  it  to  prevent, 
for  example,  troubles  or  misdemeanors,  but  they  have 
incontestably  the  right,  as  representatives  of  the  native 
community,  the  proprietors  of  the  land,  to  oppose  them- 
selves to  the  installation  of  a  catechist  or  to  the  erection 
of  an  edifice  destined  for  a  religion,  upon  the  actual  land 
of  the  village."  What  more  striking  illustration  can 
we  find  of  the  complete  subserviency  to  Catholicism  of 


[80      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE    GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

the  Congo  Government  which  refused  for  two  years  to 
a  group  of  its  people  the  free  exercise  of  their  religious 
preference,  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  laws  and  treaties? 
A  government  enslaved  by  Romanism  cannot,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  be  free. 

A  system  which  cuts  out  the  Second  Commandment 
and  places  penance  in  the  place  of  repentance,  which 
closes  the  schoolroom  door  to  its  people,  and  which  de- 
stroys freedom  of  religion  and  a  free  form  of  govern- 
ment, cannot  be  viewed  in  any  other  light  than  as  a 
menace  to  the  progress  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  of  civilization  as  well. 

Catholicism,  then,  is  our  greatest  immediate  peril.  It 
surrounds  us;  it  stalks  abroad  in  the  land;  it  lays  its 
withering  touch  on  every  village.  In  the  Kasai,  Catho- 
lic missionaries  outnumber  the  Protestant  two  to  one. 
Catholicism  is  subsidized  by  the  State.  If  we  would 
win  the  battle,  we  must  act  quickly.  Our  missionary 
staff  must  be  doubled,  our  educational  facilities  must  be 
increased,  we  must  enter  open  doors  ahead  of  the  Cath- 
olics. The  day  is  not  yet  lost,  but  God's  hour  for  prot- 
estantism is  striking  in  the  Congo.  Now  is  the  time  to 
advance,  delay  will  be  fatal. 

OPPORTUNITIES 

Our  Mission,  with  its  Christian  constituency  of  36,- 
000,  has  a  strong  foothold  among  the  tribes  of  the  Kasai." 
Our  influence  is  far  greater  than  that  of  Catholicism, 
despite  its  alliance  with  the  Government.  The  palpable 
deceptions  practiced  by  the  priests  and  the  injustices  to 
the  natives  by  certain  Government  officials  are  turning 
the  people  to  us  as  never  before.  The  conversion  of  a 
former  Catholic  priest  to  Protestantism  is  a  terrible  blow 
to  Catholicism.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Savels  was  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  the  Pere  Superior  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Station  at  Lusambo,  a  position  of  unusual  prominence. 


forward!  181 

The  burden  of  celibacy,  the  intolerance  of  Romanism, 
and  the  entrance  of  the  truth  through  the  study  of  the 
Bible  and  Protestant  literature,  to  which  he  gained 
greater  access  by  a  long  sojourn  in  England  during  the 
war,  converted  him  to  Protestantism.  He  applied  at  once 
for  admission  to  our  Mission,  saying,  that  he  would  like 
to  try  to  undo  some  of  the  things  he  had  done  as  a 
Catholic  priest  during  fifteen  of  the  best  years  of  his  life. 
In  due  time  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Savels,  whom  he  had 
married  in  England,  were  accepted  as  missionaries  un- 
der our  Board.  Mrs.  Savels,  a  Belgian  lady,  brought  up 
in  the  communion  of  the  same  Church,  was  led  by  con- 
scientious scruples  to  become  a  Protestant.  The  defec- 
tion of  Pere  Savels  produced  a  profound  sensation  in 
Belgium  and  in  the  Congo.  It  brought  consternation  to 
the  ranks  of  the  Catholic  Missionaries.  Nothing  like 
this  had  ever  occurred  before  in  the  Congo.  Upon  the 
natives,  an  even  greater  effect  was  produced.  Scores 
of  Catholic  evangelists  have  followed  Mr.  Savels'  exam- 
ple. Who  can  say  where  this  influence  will  end,  In 
the  face  of  such  a  Providence,  which  has  opened  wide 
many  Catholic  doors,  shall  we  not  co-operate  with  God 
in  the  greatest  effort  we  have  ever  put  forth  to  win  the 
Kasai  for  His  Son? 

THE  PERIL  OF  SECULAR  CIVILIZATION 

We  are  not  concerned  here  with  the  right  of  Europ- 
ean powers  to  parcel  out  Africa  among  themselves,  but 
with  the  question  whether,  having  done  that,  they  are 
living  up  to  their  privileges  and  responsibilities.  In  an- 
nexing the  territory  of  backward  peoples,  civilized  na- 
tions are  in  honor  bound  to  see  that  the  race  is  preserved, 
that  just  and  equitable  laws  prevail,  and  that  proper 
compensation  is  given.  By  secular  civilization  we  mean 
the  thing  Europe  is  attempting  to  do  in  Africa  without 
the  aid  of  the  Churches.     There  are  some  who  believe 


lS_'      TRIUMPHS    OF    Till".   GOSPEL    IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

that  nations  can  he  "civilized"  without  the  Churches, 
and  that  the  "civilization"  which  follows  in  the  wake  of 
conquest  and  commerce  is  quite  adequate  for  the  bar- 
barian in  the  first  stages  of  his  evolution.  It  is  true  that 
the  Stale  and  commerce  are  essential  factors  in  the  de- 
velopment of  any  race,  but,  without  the  co-operation  of 
Christianity,  the  most  disastrous  results  must  inevitably 
come.  Dr.  C.  II.  Patton,  in  The  Lure  of  Africa,  in  a 
most  interesting  way  balances  up  the  account  of  civiliza- 
tion in  Africa,  and  then  draws  the  logical  conclusion. 
Since  what  relates  to  the  continent  as  a  whole  is  more 
or  less  true  of  the  Belgian  Congo,  we  shall  give  in  sub- 
stance the  outline  which  Dr.  Patton  elaborates. 

THE  BENEFITS  OF  CIVILIZATION 

Railroads. — First  among  the  credits  is  placed  the  rail- 
roads. With  the  railroads,  assisted  by  the  steamboats, 
go  government,  law  and  order,  peace,  agriculture,  busi- 
ness enterprise,  sanitation,  and  comfort.  The  Cape-to- 
Cairo  system,  spanning  the  continent  from  south  to 
north,  is  practically  completed.  Eight  lines  from  the 
east  coast  and  sixteen  from  the  west  already  penetrate 
the  interior.  A  line  is  being  built  from  Benguela,  in 
Portuguese  West  Africa,  to  link  up  with  the  Cape-to- 
Cairo  road  in  Katanga,  and  will  tap  the  immense  mineral 
deposits  of  the  Congo.  Already  the  Congo  boasts  1,260 
miles  of  railroads,  and  the  projected  lines  will  add  3,156 
more.  One  of  these  latter,  linking  up  with  that  at 
Bukama  and  extending  to  Leopoldville,  will  pierce  the 
center  of  the  Kasai  District,  passing  close  to  Bibangu, 
Mutoto  and  Luebo.  A  branch  road  will  reach  Lusambo. 
The  construction  of  this  road  is  under  way. 

Abolishing  of  Tribal  Wars. — The  abolishing  of  inter- 
necine strife  in  practically  all  parts  of  the  continent  is 
a  tremendous  gain.  There  are  few  places  in  the  Congo 
where  the  traveller,  be  he  foreigner  or  native,  cannot 


forward!  183 

penetrate  unmolested  and  unafraid.  The  highways  are 
open.  The  Baluba,  once  the  prey  of  the  Basonge  and 
Zappo-zaps,  now  mingle  peacefully  among  these  tribes. 

Establishment  of  Law  and  Order. — Protection  of  life, 
security  of  property,  the  right  to  work  and  save  un- 
hindered by  one's  neighbor  or  some  tyrant  chief — these 
are  the  outcome  of  law  and  order.  Then  we  must  add 
the  suppression  of  certain  revolting  native  customs,  such 
as  slavery,  cannibalism,  the  poison  cup,  human  sacrifices, 
the  strangling  of  twin  babes,  and  the  criminal  activities 
of  the  witch  doctor. 

The  Labor  Market. — "The  African  is  often  blamed 
for  being  lazy,  but  it  is  a  misuse  of  words.  He  does  not 
need  to  work;  with  so  bountiful  a  nature  around  him 
it  would  be  gratuitous  to  work.  And  his  indolence,  there- 
fore, as  it  is  called,  is  just  as  much  a  part  of  himself  as 
his  flat  nose  and  as  little  blameworthy  as  slowness  in 
a  tortoise.  The  fact  is,  Africa  is  a  nation  of  the  unem- 
ployed."— Henry  Drummond.  The  labor  markets,  which 
are  being  introduced  all  over  the  continent,  are  providing 
the  natives  with  the  proper  incentive  to  work.  Labor 
is  in  demand  and,  as  a  rule,  good  wages  are  paid. 

Education. — Germany,  England,  and  France  have 
done  much  for  their  Colonies  in  the  line  of  education. 
Large  grants  are  made  to  Mission  Schools.  In  South 
Africa,  a  university  for  natives  has  recently  been  estab- 
lished. The  Belgian  and  Portuguese  Governments  are 
far  behind  in  this  respect.  Rev.  C.  E.  Wilson,  Foreign 
Secretary  of  the  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  in 
a  recent  visit  to  the  Congo,  gives  as  his  impression  "that 
if  the  protestant  and  Catholic  Missions,  with  the  funds 
which  they  expend,  were  to  be  withdrawn  from  Belgian 
and  Portuguese  Congo,  the  natives  would  lose  almost 
everything  they  have  as  a  means  of  education,  medical 
relief,  and  social  reform."  It  is  true  that  the  Belgian 
Government  gives  a  subsidy  to  Catholic  Missions   (but 


iS)       TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSI'EL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

not  one  cent  to  Protestant  Missions!)  which  in  1918 
amounted  to  $165,000.  But  we  have  already  seen  what 
education  under  Catholicism  means.  If  we  could  stop 
here,  the  work  of  civilization  would  be  very  creditable. 
The  other  side  of  the  account  must  be  shown. 

THE  DEBITS  OF  CIVILIZATION 

Cruelty. — "All  the  cruelties  of  Alva  in  the  Lowlands, 
all  the  tortures  of  the  Inquisition,  all  the  savagery  of 
the  Spanish  to  the  Caribs  are  as  child's  play  compared 
with  the  deeds  of  the  Belgians  in  the  Congo." — Conan 
Doyle.  This  is  a  reference  to  the  atrocities  of  the  Leo- 
poldian  regime,  happily  past.  But  what  can  be  said  for 
the  contempt  in  which  the  black  man  is  held  by  the 
white?  Why  does  the  native  still  flee  into  the  bush  at 
the  approach  of  the  white  man?  In  every  way,  the  na- 
tive is  made  to  feel  his  inferiority.  He  resents  being 
kicked  about  like  a  dog.  Belgium  is  not  alone  in  the 
guilt  of  cruel  and  inhuman  treatment  of  natives.  "What 
shall  we  say  of  the  unjust  and  cruel  wars  of  suppression 
in  which  practically  every  European  power  has  engaged, 
of  punitive  expeditions  which  have  been  little  better  than 
massacres?  The  things  Europe  has  done  under  this 
category  are  a  disgrace  to  civilization." — Patton. 

Taxation. — The  native  never  stops  to  think  of  the 
benefits  of  the  Government  and  the  fact  that  he  resents 
the  imposition  of  a  tax  only  marks  him  as  human.  From 
his  point  of  view,  it  is  an  oppressive  measure  to  tax  him 
for  the  privilege  of  living  in  his  own  country!  Whether 
the  tax  be  low  or  high  it  rankles  in  his  bosom.  It  is  ob- 
viously unjust  to  force  lads  of  fourteen  to  pay  taxes, 
as  is  done  in  the  Congo.  The  tax  in  the  Kasai  is  $1.20 
per  annum,  the  equivalent  of  one  month's  pay. 

Limitation  of  Travel. — Although  by  nature  a  hunter 
or  a  trader,  the  native  finds  himself  confined  to  a  dis- 
trict and  cannot  go  beyond  its  borders  without  a  permit 


forward!  185 

which  is  often  hard  to  obtain.  To  be  taxed  is  hard 
enough,  but  to  be  limited  in  travel  makes  him  feel  like 
a  slave.  In  certain  districts  where  forced  labor  is  re- 
quired, he  is  a  slave.  Industrial  slavery  is  often  as  bad 
as  the  old  form  of  slavery. 

Diseases  of  Civilization. — "The  history  of  civilization 
in  Africa  may  be  traced  by  the  diseases  which  spring 
up  in  its  track:"  Rinderpest,  tick-fever,  east-coast  fever 
— these  are  the  cattle  pests.  To  them  must  be  added 
certain  human  ills,  like  tuberculosis,  smallpox,  and  the 
venereal  diseases  which  are  working  such  sad  havoc. 
Tribal  and  family  restraints  have  been  broken  down 
and  civilization  offers  no  remedy.  Certain  tribes  are 
more  immoral  than  before  the  coming  of  the  white  man. 
In  the  face  of  such  indictments,  what  is  civilization  to 
say? 

The  Land  Question. — In  South  Africa  a  law  has  been 
passed  making  it  a  criminal  offense  to  sell  or  transfer 
land  to  a  native.  "He  is  forced  to  live  in  designated 
areas,  or  else  become  the  serf  of  the  white  man."  "The 
native  is  entitled  to  nothing.  What  is  given  to  him  is 
a  mere  gratuity,"  said  M.  de  Smet  de  Naeyer,  ex-Premier 
of  the  Belgian  Chamber  of  Deputies.  He  cannot  call  the 
land  on  which  he  was  born  his  home.  The  wonder  is 
that  natives  remain  loyal  at  all. 

The  Liquor  Problem. — This  is  an  evil  against  which 
the  natives  make  no  protest.  Yet  no  race  is  so  quickly 
demoralized  by  strong  drink  as  the  black.  Restrictive 
measures  for  its  sale  are  enforced  in  certain  quarters, 
but  financial  considerations  stand  in  the  way  of  its  total 
prohibition.  Holland,  England,  Germany,  and  the  Uni- 
ted States  are  the  greatest  sinners.  "The  British  Board 
of  Trade  reports  that  during  the  year  ending  in  April, 
1916,  there  were  imported  into  British  West  Africa,  3,815,- 
000  gallons  of  spirits.  During  1914-15,  from  the  port  of 
Boston,  there  were  shipped  to  the  west  coast  of  Africa 


l86      TRIUMPHS    OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

1,571,353  gallons  of  rum."  To  the  credit  of  the  Belgian 
Government,  we  gladly  record  that  the  sale  of  intoxicat- 
ing spirits  to  the  natives  is  strictly  prohibited.  It  is  un- 
fortunate that  the  same  law  does  not  apply  to  the  whites. 

Industrial  Centers. — Forty  per  cent  of  the  world's 
output  of  gold  comes  from  "The  Rand,"  in  South  Africa. 
It  has  been  estimated  that  a  half  million  blacks  each 
year  come  under  the  influence  of  this  one  industrial 
1  enter.  The  natives  are  recruited  from  every  tribe  south 
of  the  Zambezi.  Some  300,000  are  steadily  employed 
at  Johannesburg,  which  has  been  called,  not  without  rea- 
son, "a  university  of  crime."  These  natives  are  mostly 
young  men  from  sixteen  to  twenty-five  years  old.  At 
the  mines  they  are  segregated  in  barracks  or  compounds, 
from  2,000  to  6,000  males  in  each.  Those  in  the  city 
naturally  gravitate  to  the  slums.  Tribal  and  family 
restraints  are  removed.  Some  of  the  worst  crooks  and 
criminals  of  Europe  and  America  descend  to  the  lowest 
depths  in  order  to  filch  from  the  native  his  hard  earned 
cash.  "The  result  is  that  we  find  natives  succumbing 
to  drunkenness,  gambling,  murder,  sodomy  and  prostitu- 
tion. To  the  vices  of  heathenism,  the  heathen  are  now 
adding  those  of  civilization." 

There  are  other  industrial  centers,  such  as  Pretoria, 
Kimberley,  Durham,  Cape  Town,  and  the  story  is  the 
same.  The  industrial  peril  is  nearer  to  us  than  South 
Africa.  The  Katanga  District,  with  its  deposits  of  cop- 
per, iron,  lime,  tin,  and  gold  is  a  new  mining  field  and 
its  development  is  proceeding  rapidly.  Rev.  Jno.  M. 
Springer,  of  the  Northern  Methodist  Society,  whose  mis- 
sion field  lies  within  this  territory,  says:  "Likewise  this 
Katanga  mineral  field  is  a  school  of ■  crime,  of  lewdness, 
and  of  many  forms  of  evil,  and  will  be  so  increasingly 
unless  the  forces  of  righteousness  become  active  and 
make  impossible  the  development  of  conditions  similar 
to  those  which  obtain  in  the  older  mining  centers." 


forward!  187 

Striking  the  Balance. — After  having  examined  both 
sides  of  the  ledger,  Dr.  Patton  rightly  concludes  that 
secular  civilization  finds  itself  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 
account :  "It  has  brought  more  evil  than  good  to  the  Af- 
rican." Among  the  best  authorities,  there  is  no  differ- 
ence of  opinion  on  this  subject.  One  authority  has  said : 
"While  we  must  balance  the  good  and  evil  effects  of 
civilization,  yet  for  my  part  I  consider  the  real  peril  to 
Africa,  south  of  the  equator,  to  be  civilization  and  not 
Islam." 

The  Remedy.  —Mr.  Gibbons,  in  The  New  Map  of  Af- 
rica, says :  "Unless  they  [the  natives]  are  given  the 
moral  foundation  upon  which  to  build,  material  prosper- 
ity that  comes  with  European  control  is  to  aboriginal 
races  certain  destruction — a  rapid  disappearance  follow- 
ing deterioration."  The  Church  of  Christ  must  come 
to  the  rescue.  It  must  furnish  the  rallying  point  in  the 
fight  against  the  evils  of  "civilization."  The  continent 
can  be  saved,  but  only  if  the  principles  of  righteousness 
and  holy  living  can  be  planted  and  made  to  flourish 
among  the  Africans.  What  a  challenge  is  this  to  these 
Societies  now  at  work  in  the  Congo  to  advance  together 
in  the  common  task  of  preparing  the  native  to  cope  with 
his  rapidly  changing  industrial  condition !  Will  we  meet 
the  challenge? 

Our  Opportunity. — In  the  Kasai  and  adjoining  dis- 
tricts, a  unique,  yet  terrible,  opportunity  faces  the  mis- 
sions. For  years  we  have  enjoyed  almost  complete  isola- 
tion from  the  outside  world.  The  slow  steamboat  has 
been  our  only  link  with  civilization.  Whole  tribes  know 
nothing  of  the  great  world  without  save  what  they  have 
learned  from  the  occasional  visits  of  missionaries,  State 
officers  and  traders.  With  the  exception  of  the  Baluba 
and  Batetela,  very  few  natives  have  found  their  way  be- 
yond the  borders  of  their  tribes.  The  materialism,  which 
has  sprung  up  along  the  paths  of  commerce  in  the  lower 


Discussing  the  opening  of  the  Methodist  Mission.  Reading 
from  left  to  right,  Rev.  J.  T.  Mangum:  Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth, 
Dr.  D.  L.  Mumpower,  Rev.  C.  C.  Bush,  Wembo  Niama,  and  Rev. 
R.  D.  Bedinger,  who  acted  as  interpreter. 

The  bottom  picture  shows  Wembo  Niama,  his  wives  and 
children.  The  chief  who  invited  the  Methodists  to  found  their 
Misison  in  his  village. 


forward!  189 

and  upper  Congo  regions  and  which  is  bringing  to  the 
missionaries  there  such  problems,  is  just  beginning  to 
creep  into  the  Kasai.  The  task  before  us  is  comparative- 
ly easy  now,  but  what  will  it  be  ten  years  hence?  The 
onrushing  railroad  from  the  Katanga  will  bring  all  the 
perils  of  "civilization"  to  our  very  doors.  The  isolation 
of  the  Kasai  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past.  Already 
agents  from  the  Katanga  mining  field  are  recruiting  Ba- 
luba  and  Lulua  workmen  by  the  hundreds.  The  diamond 
fields,  within  a  few  days  of  Luebo,  are  demanding  thous- 
sands  more.  In  1917,  diamonds  valued  at  2,740,000  francs 
($548,100)  were  found  there.  This  industry  is  only  in  the 
prospective  stage.  Whenthe  greater  development  begins, 
the  Kasai  will  be  one  great  mining  center,  for  diamonds 
are  being  discovered  in  nearly  every  stream.  We  must 
seize  now  the  opportunity  of  evangelizing  this  section. 
Zion  must  hasten  to  fulfill  her  high  mission.  Surely  the 
Church  will  not  let  this  opportunity  pass.  We  must  have 
substantial  help  at  once.  A  blow  now  will  perhaps  save 
the  work  of  years  to  come. 

The  very  recital  of  these  perils  should  gird  the  Church 
with  a  fresh  determination  to  go  forward.  Yet,  there  are 
other  considerations  which  challenge  her  finest  endeavors. 

THE  CHALLENGE  OF  OPEN  DOORS 

It  has  been  less  than  half  a  century  since  Stanley 
made  his  long  and  perilous  journey  down  the  Congo,  re- 
sulting in  the  opening  of  West  Central  Africa  which  for 
long  centuries  had  been  closed  to  the  outside  world.  To- 
day there  is  scarcely  a  place  where  the  white  man  has 
not  penetrated.  This  geographical  feat  marked  the  begin- 
ning of  the  missionary  enterprise.  Into  this  great  open 
door  have  gone  seventeen  missionary  societies.  If  we 
had  space  to  examine  the  records  of  each  society,  we  should 
find  that  in  most  cases  the  tribes  are  open  and  willing  for 
the  reception  of  the  gospel.  Perhaps  nowhere  is  this  atti- 
tude so  striking  as  in  the  Kasai.     Rev.  A.  W.  Banfield, 


— ^~ ■ 


,- — B 


CAMBR00N5      r 


i   ,3     \        *■*. 

S  /    RHODESIA 


INDEX  TO  MISSION  STATIONS  IN   BELGIAN   CONGO 
*A.  P.  C.  M.  Southern  Presbyterian  Mission. 


(i 
(2 
(3 
(4 
(5 
(6 
(7 
(9 
do 
(ii 

(12 

(13 
(14 
(15 
06 
(17 


Christian  Missionary  Alliance. 
Swedish  Mission. 
American    Baptist   Mission. 
Baptist  Missionary  Society. 
Disciples  of  Christ  Mission 
Congo  Balolo  Mission. 
Mennonites  Mission. 
Westcott  Brothers  Mission. 
Southern  Methodist  Mission. 
Protestant  Belgian. 
Northern  Methodist  Mission. 
Arnots  Mission. 

Christian  Missions  in  Many  Lands. 
Heart  of  Africa  Mission. 
African  Inland  Mission. 
Memorial  Baptist  Mission. 


forward!  191 

Agent  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  for  West 
Africa,  after  having  passed  through  our  territory  from 
Luebo  to  Lusambo,  said :  "The  Baluba  are  truly  a  remark- 
able people,  and  in  all  my  travels,  I  have  met  only  two  other 
nations  like  them :  the  Yorubo  and  the  Ibo,  both  living  in 
Southern  Nigeria.  These  three  tribes  seem  to  have1  a 
natural  liking  for  the  European,  and  a  strong  desire  to  adopt 
his  religion  and  customs.  Brethren,  thank  God  for  this 
and  gather  them  into  the  Fold  while  they  are  so  disposed 
and  worked  upon  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Wide  Open  Doors. — During  six  months  of  1912,  there 
were  as  many  as  sixty-four  delegations,  from  villages  far 
and  near,  which  came  to  Luebo  to  seek  evangelists.  "More 
notable  among  these  delegations  have  been  those  of  Mu- 
kenge  Kalamba  (King  of  the  Luluas),  who  has  not  only 
offered  us  the  exclusive  right  to  the  religious  services  in 
his  large  village,  but  has  given  us  a  carte-blanche  to  all  of 
his  territory  with  its  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people.  His 
village  and  that  of  his  uncle,  Kasogna,  are  still  beseeching 
us  to  come,  and  have  built  as  many  as  three  sheds  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  fulfillment  of  the  request.  Zappo-zap,  where 
our  evangelists  are  already  at  work,  has  offered  unlimited 
opportunity  to  us,  asking  that  we  occupy  his  whole  border. 
The  Bena  Biombe  have  sent  in  five  delegations.  Muto'mbo 
Katshi  and  Sangula,  300  miles  away,  came  of  their  own  ac- 
cord with  requests  for  teachers.  Bashila-Kasanga,  and 
Bakwa  Mpuka,  and  the  Bena  Kahuke  represent  four  of  our 
largest  villages.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  of  the  others  or  to 
dwell  on  the  marvelous  opportunity  that  awaits  our  occu- 
pancy of  these  villages  besieging  us  with  such  requests." 
And  what  shall  we  say  of  other  doors  which  have  opened 
since  those  lines  were  written?  What  of  the  Bakete  at 
Luebo?  Of  the  Bakuba  Kingdom,  so  long  closed?  Of  the 
cannibal  Bakete  to  the  south  of  Luebo,  just  subjugated  by 
the  State,  who  are  now  asking  for  evangelists?  Of  the  fifty 
requests  which  came  in  to  Mutoto  last  year  from  unoccupied 
villages  ?    In  short,  there  is  not  an  important  tribe  in  all  our 


HjJ      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL    IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 

territory  which  is  not   now  open   to  the  influences  of  the 
gospel. 

Plastic  Peoples. — What  Dr.  J  no.  R.  Mott  said  re- 
cently of  world  conditions,  applies  in  even  greater  meas- 
ure to  the  Kasai  tribes.  "Thank  God  I  may  pass  on  and 
say  that  it  is  a  plastic  world.  The  titanic  forces  that  have 
been  working  overtime  in  these  recent  years  have  made  the 
whole  world  molten.  It  is  still  fluid;  it  is  running.  It 
will  soon  set  in  molds  like  plaster  on  the  wall."  Into  which 
mold  shall  these  plastic  Congo  tribes  be  set?  Into  that 
of  Islam?  Or,  of  Romanism?  Or,  of  materialism?  Or, 
of  Christ?  What  a  challenge  to  the  Christian  Church! 
"Forward  now,  in  God's  name !" 

The  Challenge  of  an  Unfinished  Task. — Lest  some 
one  think  that  the  task  of  winning  Africa  is  almost  com- 
pleted, let  him  remember  that  only  two  per  cent  has  as 
yet  been  won  to  Protestantism.  Let  him  look  at  a  map 
and  see  that  Africa  is  still  almost  totally  the  "Dark  Con- 
tinent." Lest  any  one  think  that  the  occupation  of  the  Bel- 
gian Congo  is  adequate,  let  him  glance  at  the  map  in  this 
book  and  see  the  vast  areas  still  untouched.  Let  him  re- 
member, also,  that  the  delimitation  of  territory  represents 
the .  responsibility  which  each  Society  has  assumed,  and 
that  within  this  responsibility  there  are  many  tribes  yet 
unreached.  As  regards  our  Mission  practically  all  the 
territory  south  of  Luluaburg,  where  dwell  the  cannibal 
Rakete,  and  the  Bena  Kanioka  and  Basilampampi  south 
of  Bibangu  Station,  has  not  been  explored  by  us.  Yet  it 
falls  legitimately  within  the  sphere  of  Baluba  speaking 
tribes.  We  can  do  one  of  two  things.  We  may  turn  over 
these  unoccupied  sections  to  some  other  society.  Already  a 
sister  denomination  has  planted  two  stations  on  the  extreme 
southern  border  of  our  Baluba  people.  Shall  we  turn  over 
to  them  the  duty  of  completing  the  task  which  we  have  un- 
dertaken ?  The  task  which  has  cost  us  the  lives  of  Lapsley, 
of  Slaymaker  of  Morrison  ?  Shall  we,  having  reduced  to  writ- 
ing the  language  of  the  great  Baluba,  having  given  them 


FORWARD  193 

the  Bible  in  their  own  tongue,  having  planted  Bibangu 
Station  in  their  midst,  now  confess  ourselves  inadequate 
for  the  task  and  call  upon  others  to  come  to  our  succor? 
The  thought  is  intolerable.  Yet,  in  justice  to  these  per- 
ishing thousands,  in  loyalty  to  Christ,  we  must  and  ought 
to  do  it,  provided  another  society  is  better  furnished  for 
the  task.  But  this  is  to  confess  that,  having  assumed 
larger  responsibilities  in  China,  Japan,  Korea,  South 
America,  the  Church  is  unwilling  and  unable  to  share 
her  proper  burden  in  Africa.  Other  Congo  Societies 
are  facing  the  issue  in  a  fine  way.  The  Foreign  and 
Christian  Missionary  Society  is  committed  to  the  pro- 
gram of  forty-five  new  missionaries  in  the  next  five 
years.  Mr.  C.  E.  Wilson,  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  Eng- 
lish Baptist  Missionary  Society,  after  a  visit  to  the 
Congo  Mission  Stations,  says :  "The  Protestant  Missions 
must  without  delay  or  hesitation  adequately  staff  their 
work  in  the  chief  centers  and  key  places.  And  the  B. 
M.  S.  deputation  will  not  fail  to  urge  upon  the  B.  M.  S. 
this  duty  in  respect  to  the  places  which  fall  within  the 
B.  M.  S.  Sphere."  The  Centenary  movement  of  the  Meth- 
odists and  a  similar  movement  of  the  Baptists  in  the 
United  States  assure  to  their  Congo  Societies  a  mighty 
impetus.  These  sister  denominations  have  accepted  the 
challenge  of  their  unfinished  tasks !  Shall  we  not  go 
forward  with  them  in  a  united  effort  to  win  the  entire 
Congo?  May  we  not  dare  to  hope  that  in  this  very 
generation  the  Congo  may  be  won  for  Christ? 

The  Challenge  of  a  Great  Objective. — What  is  this  ob- 
jective? It  is  world  conquest  for  Christ.  It  is  that  He 
may  now,  in  this  generation,  "see  of  the  travail  of  His 
soul  and  be  satisfied."  It  is  that  the  age-long  conflict 
between  the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the  serpent  may 


[04      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

speedily  result  in  the  placing'  upon  the  brow  of  the  for- 
mer the  laurel  wreath  of  victory.  This  objective  can  be 
gained  only  by  the  launching  of  a  mighty  offensive  on 
a  world  scale.  It  is  said  that,  when  the  strong  hosts  of 
Germany  were  breaking  through  the  lines  of  the  Allies, 
the  cry  went  up:  "Defend  Paris!"  When  it  seemed  that 
the  fair  city  was  about  to  be  captured,  Marshal  Foch 
issued  a  new  battle-cry:  "On  to  Berlin!'  Immediately 
the  tide  turned,  the  invader  was  halted,  hurled  back, 
routed,  and  impending  defeat  was  changed  into  glorious 
victory.  Similarly,  as  long  as  the  Church  attempts  mere- 
ly to  hold  what  has  been  gained,  defeat  stares  her  in 
the  face.  Let  her  now  be  possessed  with  one  purpose: 
"On  to  victory !"  and  the  end  will  be  in,  sight.  Dr,  Jno. 
R.  Mott  declares  that  "the  lines  that  are  opposing  pure 
Christianity  are  not  only  wavering — they  are  breaking! 
It  is.  the  time  of  times  to  gird  ourselves,  to  mass  our 
forces,  to  press  our  advantage.  This  means  an  out- 
pouring of  life,  wealth,  and  prayer  such  as  the  world  has 
never  seen  before. 

Volunteers. — There  must  be  an  outpouring  of  life. 
Africa  alone  demands  a  trebling  of  its  missionary  force. 
Our  Congo  Mission  calls  for  a  doubling  of  its  staff.  It 
demands  the  strongest  men  and  women  the  Church  can 
provide.  They  must  be  "all  round"  workers.  Let  the 
thought  perish  that  any  one  will  do  for  Africa.  "It  takes 
the  highest  to  raise  the  lowest,''  some  one  has  said.  We 
append  here  a  list  of  the  volunteers,  so  far  as  we  can 
now  see,  needed  for  the  complete  occupation  of  our 
field : 

i    Printer.  4  Physicians. 

1  Steamer  Captain  8  Trained   Nurses. 

2  Business  Men.  7  Evangelistic  Men. 

3  Agricultural  Men.  9  Industrial  Men. 

4  Educational  Men. 


FORWARD  195 

Reader,  may  it  not  be  that  you  can  fit  one  of  these 
needs?     Will  you  not  now  say,  'Here  am  I,  Lord,  send 


me. 


r? 


Wealth. — There  must  be  an  outpouring  of  money. 
Large  sums  must  be  invested,  if  Africa  is  to  be  won. 
Gifts  to  beneficence  must  be  on  a  continental  scale.  New 
tribes  must  be  approached,  new  stations  founded,  new 
institutions  built.  "Money  is  needed  in  strategic 
amounts,  as  well  as  in  a  multitude  of  small  but  sacrificial 
gifts."  We  append  here  a  list  of  needs  for  the  material 
equipment   of   our   Congo   field. 

Luebo  Station    $  82,000.00 

Lusambo   Station    25,100.00 

Bulape   Station    22,600.00 

Mutoto   Station    32,800.00 

Bibangu   Station    25,100.00 

Two  New  Stations  50,200.00 

Agricultural  School    27,200.00 

Total    $265,000.00 

Is  it  Utopian  to  hope  that  this  sum  may  be  given 
at  once  'for  the  winning  of  our  part  of  Africa?  Are  there 
not  individuals  in  our  Church  who  might  equip  entire 
stations?  Are  there  not  others  who  will  say,  "I  will 
build  a  hospital,"  "I  will  take  a  dormitory"?  Some  day 
American  business  men  will  show  the  same  interest  in 
the  evangelization  of  Africa  as  the  business  (men  of  the 
European  powers  are  displaying  in  its  industrial  and 
commercial  development. 

Prayer. — There  must  be  a  mighty  outpouring  of  prayer. 
This  really  must  come  first.  The  obstacles  before  us 
are  seemingly  insuperable.     The  magnitude  of  the  task 


I96      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

staggers  us.  Christ,  Who  saw  the  end  from  the  begin- 
ning, gave  prayer  as  the  key  to  the  solution.  "Pray  ye 
therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  will  send  forth 
labourers  into  His  harvest."  A  gjreat  army,  potent 
with  divine  energy,  awaits  its  thrusting  forth  through 
the  passionate  praying  of  an  awakened  Church.  Dr. 
Jowett  says :  "By  prayer  we  help  to  distribute  the  ener- 
gies of  God."  And  if  our  forward  going  be  in  the  power 
and  with  the  impact  of  prayer,  we  may  well  say  with 
the  poet: 

"On  the  far  reef  the  breakers 
Recoil,   in   shattered    foam. 
Yet  still  the  sea  behind  them 
Urges  its   forces   home. 
Its  chant   of  triumph   surges 
Through  all  the  thundrous  din — 
The  waves  may  break  in  failure 
But  the  tide  is  sure  to  win! 

O   mighty  sea,   thy  message 
In    clinging    spray   is    cast; 
Within    God's   plan    of   progress 
It  matters  not  at  last 
How  wide   the   shores  of   evil, 
How  strong  the  reefs  of  sin — 
The  waves  may  break  in  failure 
But  the  tide  is  sure  to  win! 


Spjpentoix  I 

A  Condensed  Statement  of  the  Political  History  of  the 
Belgian  Congo. 

As  early  as  1482,  Diogo  Cam,  a  Portuguese  explorer, 
had  discovered  the  mouth  of  the  Congo  river,  from  which 
the  entire  region  takes  its  name.  But  is  was  not  until 
four  centuries  later  that  Henry  M.  Stanley  made  his  fa- 
mous voyage  from  Nyangwe  down  the  Congo  to  the  At- 
lantic, which  he  reached  in  August,  1877.  This  achieve- 
ment, in  the  face  of  many  perils,  marked  the  beginning 
o'f  a  new  era  in  the  development  of  Africa.  It  opened 
Central  Africa  to  the  world. 

The  Conference  at  Brussels  in  1876. — While  Stanley 
was  engaged  in  this  enterprise,  a  three  days'  conference 
was  called  by  King  Leopold  II.,  the  Belgian  sovereign, 
to  meet  in  Brussels  in  September,  1876,  for  the  purpose 
,of  discussing  schemes  for  opening  the  interior  of  Africa 
to  commerce,  civilization,  and  scientific  research.  Politi- 
cians, geographers,  travelers,  and  philanthropists,  repre- 
senting Belgium,  England,  France,  Germany,  Italy  and 
Russia,  were  in  attendance.  The  outcome  of  this  notable 
conference  was  the  formation  of  an  International  African 
Association,  as  a  central  organization  for  the  National 
Committees,  which  it  proposed  to  set.  up  in  eleven  European 
countries,  together  with  one  in  the  United  States.  The 
Belgian  delegates  were  the  most  numerous.  Gradually 
the  other  countries  withdrew  their  support,  or  remained 
inactive,  and  the  Belgian  Committee,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  King  Leopold,  supplied  nearly  all  the  funds,  and 
soon  became  the  sole  director  of  the  purposes  o'f  the 
Association.     "The  philanthropic  efforts  of  His  Majesty 


I98      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

the  King-  of  the  Belgians,  if  they  meet  with  the  support 
they  deserve,  although  not  either  of  a  missionary  or  of 
a  commercial  character,  must  materially  assist  in  open- 
ing up  the  country,"  wrote  Commander  Cameron,  who 
had  lately  returned  from  his  journey  across  the  continent. 

Early  Operations. — In  1877,  the  Belgian  National 
Committee  sent  out  its  first  expedition,  having  for  its 
object  "the  planting  of  stations  on  the  west  side  of  Lake 
Tanganyika,  and  the  improvement  of  communications 
between  theim  and  Zanzibar,  with  a  view  to  promoting 
scientific  inquiries,  befriending  all  travellers,  and  as  an 
ulterior  aim,  suppressing  the  slave  trade  by  'civilizing 
influences.'  "  Disaster  after  disaster  overtook  the  expe- 
dition until  by  1879  only  one  station  was  established  on 
the  east  coast  of  the  lake. 

The  Committee  for  the  Study  of  the  Upper  Congo. — 
In  the  meantime  Stanley  had  made  his  startling  an- 
nouncement of  the  success  of  his  exploration.  This 
brought  about  a  reshaping  df  the  International  Associa- 
tion. King  Leopold  called  another  conference  to  meet  in 
Brussels,  in  November,  1878.  Stanley  was  present.  It 
was  decided  that  Stanley  should  lead  an  expedition  to 
obtain  accurate  information  about  this  new  country. 
Funds  were  immediately  subscribed,  the  subscribers  to 
the  fund  assuming  the  name  and  title  of  The  Committee 
for  the  study  of  the  Upper  Congo.  King  'Leopold  became 
its  president.  From  this  time  the  International  Associa- 
tion dropped  out  of  sight.  "The  enterprise,"  says 
Wauters,  "was  conducted  with  the  most  feverish  activity 
and  in  the  greatest  secrecy.  If,  after  its  ambitious  and 
original  conception,  anything  else  could  be  surprising, 
it  was  the  rapidity,  the  discretion,  and  the  orderliness 
with  which  it  was  realized."  The  end  of  July,  1881, 
Stanley,  after  pushing  his  way  over  mountains  and 
through  jungles,  reached  Stanley  Pool,  only  to  find  that 


APPENDIX    I  I99 

M.  de  Brazza  had  preceded  him  and  had  claimed  the 
north  side  for  France.  Leopoldville  was  established 
by  April,  1882,  and  Stanley  penetrated  as  far  as  Lake 
Leopold,  which  he  discovered  and  named.  Then  ill- 
ness forced  him  to  return  to  Europe. 

Stanley's  Second  Expedition  — By  December  20,  1882, 
Stanley  was  again  at  the  mouth  off  the  Congo.  Within 
one  year's  time  he  had  established  several  new  stations, 
the  last  being  at  Stanley  Falls,  1,068  miles  beyond  Leo- 
poldville. In  addition,  he  had  negotiated  "treaties  made 
with  450  independent  African  chiefs,  whose  rights  would 
be  conceded  by  all  to  have  been  indisputable,  since  they 
held  their  lands  by  undisputed  occupation,  by  long  ages 
of  succession,  by  real  divine  right,"  and  who,  "of  their 
Own  free  will,  without  coercion,  but  for  substantial  con- 
siderations, reserving  only  a  few  easy  conditions,  had 
transferred  their  rights  of  sovereignty  and  of  ownership 
to  the  Association."  In  April,  1884,  the  United  States 
Government  accepted,  as  did  other  Governments  after- 
wards, the  assurance  in  the  Association's  declaration 
that,  "by  treaties  with  the  legitimate  sovereigns  in  the 
basins  of  the  Congo  and  the  Niari-Kwilu,  and  in  adjacent 
territories  upon  the  Atlantic,  there  had  been  ceded  to  it 
the  territory  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  Free  States  estab- 
lished and  being  established,  under  the  care  and  super- 
vision df  the  said  Association,  in  the  said  basins  and 
adjacent  territories  to  which  cession  the  said  Free  States 
of  right  succeed. 

The  Berlin  Conference  of  1885. — Difficulties  over  the 
territory  on  either  side  of  the  Congo  soon  arose  between 
France,  Portugal  and  the  Congo  Assciation.  Accord- 
ingly it  was  determined  to  hold  an  International  Con- 
ference at  Berlin  to  deal  with  this  question  as  well  as 
other  West  African  affairs.  Fourteen  powers  were  rep- 
resented at  this  Conference,  which  was  presided  over  by 


L'OO      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

Prince  Bismarck.  To  these  was  added,  at  the  final  sit- 
ting, the  newly  recognized  International  Association  of 
the  Congo.  The  first  sitting  was  held  on  November  15, 
1884,  and  the  tenth  and  last  on  January  26,  1885.  The 
discussions  and  proposals  of  the  Conference  were  em- 
bodied in  a  General  Act  of  thirty-eight  articles,  and  were 
signed,  "in  the  name  of  Almighty  God,"  on  February 
26,  and  ratified  on  April  19th,  by  all  but  the  United 
States  Government,  which  was  unwilling  to  assume  re- 
sponsibilities that  might  be  troublesome. 

The  Berlin  General  Act. — The  first  article  declared 
that  throughout  "the  basin  of  the  Congo,  its  mouths  and 
circumjacent  regions,"  "the  trade  of  all  nations  shall  enjoy 
complete  freedom."  The  fourth  article  laid  it  down  that 
"No  Power  wdrich  exercises  or  may  exercise  sovereign 
rights  in  the  above  mentioned  regions  shall  be}  allowed  to 
grant  therein  either  monopoly  or  privilege  of  any  kind  in 
commercial  matters."  The  sixth  article  provided  that  "all 
the  Powers  exercising  sovereign  rights  or  influence  in  the 
aforesaid  territories  pledge  themselves  to  watch  over  the 
preservation  of  the  native  populations  and  the  improvement 
of  their  moral  and  material  conditions  of  existence,  and 
to  work  for  the  suppression  of  slavery,  and  especially  of 
the  slave  trade;  they  shall  protect  and  befriend  without 
distinction  of  nationalities  nor  of  creeds  all  institutions  and 
religious  enterprises,  scientific  or  charitable,  created  and 
organized  to  these  ends  or  aiming  to  instruct  the  natives  and 
to  make  them  understand  and  appreciate  the  advantages  of 
civilization.  Christian  missionaries,  scientists,  explorers, 
their  escorts,  property  and  collections  shall  be  equally  the 
object  of  a  special  protection. .  .Liberty  of  conscience  and  re- 
ligious tolerance  are  expressly  guaranteed  to  the  natives  as 
well  as  to  subjects  and  foreigners.  The  free  and  public 
exercise  of  all  creeds,  the  right  to  erect  religious  edifices 
and  to  organise  missions  belonging  to  all  the  creeds  shall 
be  submitted  to  no  restriction  nor  hindrance"     Such  are 


APPENDIX    I  201 

some  of  the  most  important  articles  which  the  fourteen 
Powers  solemnly  pledged  their  word  to  uphold. 

The  Congo  State  Established. — On  August  i,  1885, 
the  new  Congo  State  took  to  itself  the  title  of  The  Inde- 
pendent Congo  State.  On  April  28,  1885,  tne  Belgian 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  two  days  later,  the  Senate, 
acquiesced  in  the  request  of  the  King  to  become  the  Sov- 
ereign of  the  Association,  declaring  that  "His  Majesty 
Leopold  II,  King  of  the  Belgians,  is  authorized  to  be 
Chief  of  the  State  founded  in  Africa  by  the  International 
Association  of  the  Congo."  Thus  did  Leopold  gain  control 
of  that  vast  territory  with  its  immense  wealth.  He  became 
the  absolute  monarch  of  the  Congo.  He  issued  the  decrees 
by  which  the  Congo  was  to  be  administered.  His  appointees 
were  his  abject  slaves. 

The  Royal  Program. — The  years  1885-1889  were  de- 
voted by  Leopold  to  the  developing  of  the  machinery,  finan- 
cial, military,  and  political.  The  Royal  Program  was  divided 
into  three  parts : 

1.  The  extermination  of  the  Arabs,  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  establishing  his  reputation  for  philanthropy  and  to 
gain  the  vast  ivory  wealth  of  the  Arabs.  This  was  en- 
tirely successful. 

2.  The  conquest  of  the  Sudan.     This  was  a  failure. 

3.  The  conversion  of  the  Congo  Basin,  with  its  enor- 
mous riches,  and  its  human  inhabitants,  into  the  private 
property  of  the  King.     This,  too  was  successful. 

To  carry  out  this  third  part  two  expedients  were  re- 
sorted to.  First,  the  State  reserved  to  itself,  as  a  private 
domain,  all  "vacant  ground,"  that  is,  all  the  territory  of  the 
Congo,  excepting  only  the  sites  of  the  native  villages  and 
the  gardens  of  such  villages.  The  natives  were  allowed  to 
gather  the  products  of  the  country,  notably  rubber  and  ivory, 
only  on  the  condition  that  they  brought  them  for  sale  to  the 
State  for  whatever  the  latter  was  pleased  to  give  them.     As 


202      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

regarded  alien  traders,  they  were  prohibited  from  trading 
with  the  natives.  Second,  of  course  it  was  impossible  for 
such  a  monopoly  of  trade  to  exist  forever.  The  traders 
raised  a  protest.  Therefore,  large  financial  corporations, 
known  as  Concessionaire  Companies,  or  Proprietary  Com- 
panies, were  distributed  throughout  the  country,  the  State 
retaining,  in  most  cases,  half  shares.  On  September  21, 
1891,  a  secret  decree  was  sent  to  the  Congo  laying  down 
as  a  paramount  duty  of  the  officials  of  the  "Congo  Free 
State"  to  raise  revenue,  "to  take  urgent  and  necessary 
measures  to  secure  for  the  State  the  domainial  fruits, 
notably  ivory  and  rubber."  Other  secret  documents  were 
sent  to  the  management  in  the  Congo,  among  them  one 
allowing  "bonuses"  proportionate  to  the  cost  of  the  exploita- 
tion to  those  concerned  with  forest  exploitation.  These 
"bonuses"  were  given  on  both  ivory  and  rubber.  In  other 
words,  the  more  rubber  and  ivory  an  agent  made  his  sec- 
tion produce,  the  higher  was  his  commission.  In  January, 
1897,  the  following  circular  was  issued  by  the  Governor- 
General  Wahis :  "Where  the  natives  refuse  obstinately 
to  work,  you  will  compel  them  to  obey  by  taking  hostages." 

Atrocities. — Such  a  program  must  inevitably  lead  to 
abuses.  Lord  Landsdowne,  of  England,  denounced  the  Congo 
system  as  "bondage  under  the  most  barbarous  and  in- 
human conditions,  maintained  for  mercenary  motives  of 
the  most  selfish  character."  A  Conan  Doyle  said :  "But 
when  we  read  of  the  ill-treatment  of  these  poor  people,  the 
horrible  beatings,  the  mutilation  of  limbs,  the  butt-endings — 
facts  which  are  vouched  for  by  witnesses  of  several  na- 
tions and  professions,  backed  by  the  incorruptible  evidence 
of  the  Kodak — we  again  ask  by  what  right  are  these  things 
done?  Is  there  anywhere  any  shadow  of  justification  for 
the  hard  yoke  which  these  helpless  folk  endure?  What  a 
story !  What  possible  compensation  can  Europe  ever 
make  to  these  unhappy  wards  whom  she  has  abandoned  to 


APPENDIX    I  203 

what  a  Belgian  judge  of  the  Congo  has  described  as  the 
'most  relentless  and  most  hateful  tyrants  that  ever  dis- 
graced the  name  of  humanity  !'  " 

Exposure^— For  nearly  two  decades  this  diabolical 
program  of  systematic  exploitation  was  carried  on.  But 
it  could  not  be  hid  for  all  time.  The  European  press 
soon  was  full  of  statements  of  English  travelers,  and 
others,  about  the  scandalous  management,  tribal  trou- 
bles, and  coercion  of  natives  by  traders  and  Congo  offi- 
cials. But  the  main  credit  of  the  exposure  of  these  atro- 
cities rightfully  belongs  to  .the  Protestant  missionaries. 
The  Catholic  missionaries  were  strangely  silent.  Lord 
Cromer,  of  England,  said:  "Even  the  most  hardened  skep- 
tic as  regards  the  utility  of  missionary  enterprise  will  not, 
I  think,  be  prepared  to  deny  that  to  the  missionaries,  in 
conjunction  with  Mr.  Morel,  the  main  credit  accrues  of 
having  brought  home  to  the  British  public,  and  eventually 
to  the  public  of  Europe,  the  iniquities  which,  but  a  short 
time  ago,  were  being  practiced  under  European  sanction 
in  the  heart  of  Africa."  The  part  played  by  our  own  mis- 
sionaries, notably  by  Dr.  W.  M.  Morrison,  is  well  known 
to  the  Church  and  to  the  world.  Public  opinion  became  so 
thoroughly  aroused  that  a  Commission  of  Inquiry  was  ap- 
pointed, composed  of  a  high  Belgian  majistrate,  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Boma,  and  a  Swiss.  The 
report  of  this  Commission  was  in  substantial  agreement  with 
that  of  English  Consuls,  travellers,  and  missionaries. 

King  Leopold's  Attitude. — 'Leopold,  upon  publication 
of  this  report,  declared  that  his  motive  had  always  been 
philanthropic  rather  than  commercial,  that  he  was  glad  the 
"abuses"  had  been  exposed,  and  that  he  would  devise  means 
to  carry  out  the  proposals  of  the  Commission.  Little  faith 
was  placed  in  his  statements. 

Belgium  Annexes  the  Congo. — In  1908,  a  treaty  be- 
tween King  Leopold  and  Belgium,  ceding  the  Congo  Free 


204      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN   CONGO 

State  to  Belgium,  was  accepted  by  the  Chamber  and  the 
Senate.  Leopold  refused  to  be  responsible  for  the  Congo 
Free  State  debt  of  nearly  twenty-three  million  dollars. 

Leopold's  Death. — On  December  7,  1909,  Leopold  II 
died.  His  death  created  everywhere  the  hope  that  "the 
people  of  Belgium  would  have  an  awakening  of  con- 
science, a  n  d  attempt  to  do  away  with  the  wholesale 
butchery  and  slavery  in  Africa  that  brought  them  as  a 
civilized  and  Christian  nation  to  shame  before  the  whole 
world." 

King  Albert's  Accession. — The  succession  of  His  Ma- 
jesty, King  Albert,  marked  the  beginning  of  a  brighter 
page  in  the  history  of  the  Congo.  Many  reforms  have  been 
sincerely  effected,  but  the  page  will  not  be  wiped  clean 
until  that  relating  to  religious  freedom  is  carried  out.  Arti- 
cle 6,  of  the  Berlin  Treaty,  is  still  flagrantly  violated. 


A  Luebo  Deacon  and  Family 


gppenbix  11 

A  Libel  Suit 

The  Trial  of  Rev.  W.  M.  Morrison,  D.  D.,  and  Rev. 
W.  H.  Sheppard,  D.  D. — One  of  the  monopolistic  Con- 
cessionaire Companies  set  up  by  King  Leopold  II,  in 
which  he  held  one-half  (the  stock,  was  the  (Compagnie 
du  Kasai,  whose  headquarters  are  at  Dima.  The  terri- 
tory leased  to  this  trading  company  included,  besides 
much  more,  all  the  region  in  which  the  American  Pres- 
byterian Congo  Mission  is  at  work.  The  methods  of 
exploitation,  employed  elsewhere  in  the  Congo,  soon 
came  into  vogue  in  the  Kasai  District.  For  a  number  of 
years,  the  State  had  been  employing  the  cannibal  Zappo- 
zaps  as  its  instrument  for  securing  natives  to  be  used 
in  forced  labor,  and  to  collect  tribute  in  rubber,  ivory  and 
goats  from  the  people.  Following  their  brutal  instincts 
the  Zappo-zaps  began  to  plunder,  burn,  and  kill  The  ex- 
posure by  our  missionaries  of  these  atrocities,  for  which  the 
State  was  largely  responsible  brought  upon  them  the 
abuse  and  ill-will  of  the  State. 

The  Compagnie  du  Kasai  began  its  operations  in  the  Kasai 
region  about  1903.  For  several  years  there  was  little  com- 
plaint from  the  natives.  Rubber  was  plentiful,  ;  But, 
from  1906  to  1909,  the  situation  in  the  Bakuba  country, 
in  particular,  had  become  most  distressing.  The  people 
were  forced  to  do  nothing  else  but  make  rubber.  A  famine 
threatened  them,  who  were  once  a  prosperous  and  thrifty 
people.  What  was  the  Mission  to  do?  Sad  experience 
had  taught  the  uselessness  of  appealing  either  to  the  State 
or  the  Company.  On  the  other  hand,  to  keep  silence,  when 
no  one  else  could  or  would  speak  for  the  natives,  was  both 
unjust  and  inexpedient.  It  was  felt  that  the  friends  at 
home  ought  to  know  this  situation  so  deeply  affecting  our 


206      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

work  of  our  Christian  people.  Therefore,  a  short  article, 
setting  forth  the  conditions,  appeared  in  the  January  issue, 
1908,  of  the  Kasai  Herald,  of  which  Dr.  W.  M.  Morrison 
was  the  editor.  The  article  was  written  by  Rev.  W.  H. 
Sheppard  who,  by  reason  of  his  residence  at  Ibanche,  had 
first  hand  knowledge  of  what  was  occuring  in  the  Bakuba 
Kingdom.  No  exception  was  taken  to  this  article  until 
some  six  months  later  when  this  region  was  visited  by  the 
British  Consul.  The  Government  then  knew  that  some- 
thing would  have  to  be  done.  They  then  fixed  on  this 
article  in  the  Kasai  Herald,  and  the  Compagnie  du  Kasai 
was  instigated  to  bring  suit  against  Dr.  Morrison,  the 
editor,  and  Dr.  Sheppard,  the  author  of  the  article.  The 
amount  sued  for  was  $16,000.00. 

The  Trial. — The  place  for  the  trial  was  set  at  Leo- 
poldville,  nearly  one  thousand  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
troubles.  There  is  no  doubt  that  this  injustice  was  done 
in  order  to  make  it  difficult  for  the  Mission  to  produce  its 
witnesses.  Had  the  trial  been  conducted  at  Luebo,  hun- 
dreds of  witnesses  could  have  been  produced  easily.  The 
Bakuba  are  very  conservative  and  do  not  travel  much  be- 
yond their  own  borders. 

In  the  meantime,  friends  at  home  and  in  England  were 
at  work  on  behalf  of  our  missionaries.  Rev.  S.  H.  Chester, 
D.  D.,  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  brought  strong  pres- 
sure to  bear  on  the  Government  at  Washington,  which  dis- 
patched word  to  Belgian  Government  requesting  a  change 
in  the  time  of  the  trial  from  July  to  September,  which 
would  enable  our  missionaries  to  prepare  their  defense.  In 
England,  Mr.  Robert  Whyte,  that  loyal  friend  of  the  Mis- 
sions, secured  the  services  of  M.  Emile  Vandervelde,  an 
eminent  lawyer  and  prominent  member  of  the  Belgian  Par- 
liament, who  had  often  raised  his  voice  in  protest  against 
the     Leopoldian     regime     and     who     offered     to     defend 


APPENDIX    II  207 

Messrs.  Morrison  and  Sheppard,  provided  only  his  travel- 
ing expenses  were  met.  The  day  set  for  the  trial  was  Sep- 
tember 24,  1909.  The  presence  of  the  American  and  British 
Consuls,  and  the  advocacy  of  M.  Vandervelde,  one  of  the 
most  powerful  and  influential  men  in  Belgium,  was  more 
than  the  State  had  looked  for.  M.  Vandervelde's  speech  in 
the  defense  was  "a  masterpiece  of  eloquence,  invincible  logic, 
burning  sarcasm,  and  pathetic  appeal  for  justice  to  be  done 
the  missionaries  and  the  natives." 

The  Results.* — Dr.  Morrison  and  Dr.  Sheppard  were 
completely  vindicated  and  the  Compagnie  du  Kasai  was 
forced  to  pay  the  costs  of  the  action,  which  were  very 
heavy.  Another  result  was  the  vindication,  before  a  Congo 
tribunal,  of  the  truth  of  what  had  been  proclaimed  for  years 
regarding  the  situation  in  that  unfortunate  land.  It  brought 
about  a  lessening  of  the  rubber  pressure  in  the  Kasai  region. 
It  proved  to  the  natives  that  the  missionaries  were  willing, 
if  necessary,  to  suffer  for  them.  It  proved,  also  to  the 
world  that  our  missionaries  were  not  prompted  by  any 
merely  religious  or  political  motives,  with  which  they  had 
been  so  persistently  charged,  but  had  been  compelled  to 
oppose  the  existing  regime  from  purely  unselfish  and  hu- 
manitarian reasons. 

It  is  only  just  to  add  that  for  a  number  of  years  now 
only  the  most  cordial  relations  have  existed  between  the 
Compagnie  du  Kasai  and  our  Mission. 


gppenbtx  III 

The  following  Missionary  Societies  are  at  work  in  the 
Congo  Beige; 

A.    B.    F.    M.    S. — American   Baptist    Foreign    Missionary 
Society. 

A.  I.  M. — Africa  Inland  Mission. 

A.I*.  C.  M. — American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission. 

B.  M.   S. — Baptist  Missionary   Society    (English). 

C.  B.  M. — Congo  Balolo  Mission  (English). 
C.  I.  M. — Congo  Inland  Mission. 

C.  &  M.  A. — Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance. 

D.  C.  C.  M. — Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission. 
G.    M. — Garanganze   Mission    (Arnot's   Mission). 
H.  A.  M—  Heart  of  Africa  Mission. 

M.  E.  C.   M.    (N). — Methodist  Episcopal   Congo   Mission 

(Northern  State). 
M.   E.   C.   M.    (S). — Methodist   Episcopal   Congo   Mission 

(Southern  States). 
M.  B.  M. — Memorial  Baptist  Mission  (American). 
S.  M. — Swedish  Mission. 
W.  B.  M. — Westcott  Brothers  Mission   (English). 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  Belgian  Protestants,  two 
bodies  of  Swedish  Baptists,  and  the  Ubangi-Shari  Mission 
(American  Brethren)  are  planning  work  but  have  no  sta- 
tions ;  and  the  Seventh-Day- Adventists  have  opened  work 
recently  at  Kigoma,  in  the  new  Belgian  Occupation  on  the 
Eastern  shore  of  Lake  Tanganyika. 


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General 

Bourne,  Fox  Civlization  in  Congoland. 

Drummond,  Henry  Tropical  Africa. 

Gibbons,  Herbert    Adams  The  New  Map  of  'Africa. 

Johnston,   Sir.  H.  H.       A  History  of  the  Colonization  of  Africa. 

By  Alien  Races 

The  Affairs  of  West  Africa. 

Red  Rubber. 

Fetishism  in   West  Africa. 

Among   Congo   Cannibals. 

Islam,  a   Challenge   to  Faith. 


Morel,  E.  D. 
Morel,  E.  D. 
Nassau,  Rev.  R.  H. 
Weeks,    Rev.   J.   H. 
Zwemer,    S.   M. 


Blaikie,  W.  G. 
Bentley,    W.    H. 
Du  Plessis,  J. 
Fraser,  Donald 
Harris,  J.  H. 
Johnston,  Sir  H.  H. 
Mackenzie,    Jean 
Milligan,  R.  H. 
Noble,  F.  P. 
Patton,  C.  H. 
Sheppard,  W.  H. 
Springer,   J.   M. 
Williams,  H.  F. 


jfitsstons 

The  Personal  Life  of  David  Livingstone. 

Pioneering  on  the  Congo. 

Thrice   Through   the  Dark   Continent. 

Winning    a   Primitive    People. 

Dawn  in  Darkest  Africa. 

George  Grenfcll  and  the  Congo. 

An  African  Trial. 

The  Jungle  Folk   of  Africa. 

The  Redemption  of  Africa. 

The  Lure   of  Africa. 

Presbyterian    Pioneers  in   the   Congo. 

Pioneering   in    the    Congo. 

In   Four   Continents. 


Our  tflissionarics  to  tlje  Congo 


The  following  92  men  and  women  are  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  in 
her  mission  work  in  the  Congo.  There  are  doubtless  some 
inaccuracies,  but  we  have  done  the  best  we  could  according 
to  the  records  we  have.  The  second  of  the  two  dates  fol- 
lowing any  name  indicates  the  termination  of  the  period 
of  service.  Cases  of  death  in  service  are  indicated  so  far 
as  the  facts  are  known,  by  an  asterisk  following  the  sec- 
ond date. 

Acknowledgment  is  made  to  "B.  Martin,"  whose  list  of 
our  missionaries  to  the  Congo,  as  given  in  her  loose  leaf 
scrap  book,  "The  Call  of  the  Wild  African,"  has  been  used 
in  preparing  the  following  list. — J.  I.  A. 

Adamson,  Rev.  George  D.,  Scotland,  1891-1894. 
Adamson,  Mrs.  George  D.,  Scotland,  1891-1894.* 
Allen,   Mr.  James  Woodruff,    Missouri.    iy: 
Allen,   Mrs.   Mildred   Montgomery,   Missouri,    1912 — 
Arnold,  Mr.  Thomas  Jackson,  Jr.,  West  Virginia,   1912-1920. 
Arnold,  Mrs.  Carolina  Hutson  Martin,  South  Carolina,  1918-1920. 
Bedinger,  Rev.  Robert  Dabney,  Virginia,   191 1 — 
Bedinger,  Mrs.  Julia  Smith,   North   Carolina,    1916 — 
Cleveland,  Rev.  Roy  Fields,  Texas,   1013. 
Cleveland,  Mrs.  Lenoir  A.  Ramsey,  Texas,   1913 — 
Coppedge,  Dr.  Llewellyn  Jackson,   North   Carolina,   1 906-1918. 
Coppedge,  Mrs.  Coralie  Guibert  Lobdell,  Mississippi,    1912-1918. 
Crane,  Rev.  Charles  LaCoste,   Georgia,  1912 — 
Crane,  Mrs.  Louise  Dixon,  North  Carolina,   1912 — 
Crowley,  Rev.  J.  S.,  Louisiana,  1896-1902. 
Crowley,  Mrs.  Sophia  Wright,  Tennessee,   1897-1902. 
Daumery,   Mr.  T.,  Belgium,   1913. 
Daumery,  Mrs.  Nellie  Baity,  Belgium,  1915 — 
-rDe  Yampert,   Rev.   Lucius  A.,  Alabama,    1902-1918. 

-  De  Yampert,  Mrs.  Lillian  Thomas,  Alabama,   1894-1918. 
Dowsett,  Mr.  England,  1913-1914. 

Edhegard,  Mrs.  Grace  Miller,  Kansas,   1916-1918. 
-Edmiston,    Rev.    Alonzo    Lemore,   Tennessee,    1904 — 

-  Edmiston,  Mrs.  Althea  Brown,  Mississippi,  1902 — 


OUR  MISSIONARIES  TO  THE  CONGO  213 

Fair,   Miss   Elda   M.,   Pennsylvania,    1913 — 

Fearing,  Miss  Maria,  Alabama,   1894-1918. 
-♦Hawkins,  Rev.  H.  P.,  Mississippi,  1894-1910. 

Hillhouse,  Mr.  W.  Laurens,  Georgia,  1913 — 

Howard,    Mr.,   Scotland,    1910-1912. 

Kellersberger,   Dr.   Eugene   Roland,   North   Carolina,    1916 — 

Kellersberger,   Mrs.  Edna  Bosche,   North   Carolina,   1916 — 

King,  Dr.  Robert  Rogers,  Arkansas,  1915 — 

King,  Mrs.  Margaret  Van  Leacourt,  Belgium,   1913 — 

Kirkland,  Miss   Mary   Elizabeth,  Texas,   1917 — 

Lapsley,  Rev.  Samuel  Norvell,  Alabama,  1890- 1892.* 

Larson,  Miss  Emtma  E.,  Minnesota,   1920 — 

Longenecker,  Rev.  Hershey,  Missouri,  1917 — 

Longenecker,   Mrs.   Minnie    Carolina   Hauhart,   Missouri,    1917 — 

McElroy,   Rev    W.   Frank,   Texas,    1915 —  , 

McElroy,  Mrs.  Jane   McCrumitnen,  Texas,   1915 — 

McKee,  Rev.  George  T.,  Arkansas,  191 1 — 

McKee,  Mrs.  Elsie  Maxfield,  Arkansas,  1911* — 

McKinnon,  Rev.  Arch  Cornelius,  Arkansas,  1912 — 

McKinnon,  Mrs.  Eva  Mabel  King,  Arkansas,  1912 — 

McQueen,    Rev.    John    Christy,    Louisiana,    1912-1913. 

MqQueen,    Mrs.    Urilda    Breedlove    Rodd,    Louisiana,    1912-1913. 

Martin,  Rev.  Motte,  Texas,  1903 — 

Martin,   Mrs.   Bessie  L.   Sentell,   Louisiana,   1909 — 

Miller,  Mrs.  Jennie  Merle  Little,  Georgia,  1909 — 

Morrison,    Rev.    William    McCutchen,    Virginia,    1896-1918.* 

Morrison,  Mrs.  Bertha  Stebbins,  Louisiana,  1906-1910.* 
Thipps,  Rev.  Joseph,  Pennsylvania,  1895-1910. 

Pritchard,  Dr.  Joseph  G.,  Mississippi,   1910-1913. 
-Rochester,   Rev.  Adolphus   A.,  Alabama.    1906  — 
--Rochester,  Mrs.  Kate  Annie  Taylor,  Alabama,  1906-1914.* 

Rogers,   Miss   Ruby,  Texas,    1919 — 

Rowbotham,    Rev.   Arthur,    England,    1892-1894. 

Rowbotham,  Mrs.  Arthur,  England,  1892-1894. 

Savels,  Rev.  J.,  Belgium,  1919 — 

Savels,  Mrs.  J.  Belgium,  1919 — 

Schlotter,   Mr.    Bruno    M.,    Georgia,    1915 — 

Scott,  Mr.  William   Brown,  Scotland,  1906-1915. 

Scott,  Mrs.  Rachael  Boyd,  Scotland,  1911-1915. 

Setzer,  Mr.  Auburn   H.,  North   Carolina,   1913-1915. 

Setzer,  Mrs.  Virginia  Ragland,  Texas,  1913-1915. 

Sheppard,  Rev.  William   H.,  Virginia,   1890-1910. 

Sheppard,  Mrs.  Lucy  Gantt,  Alabama,  1894-1910. 

Sieg,,  Rev.  J.  McClung,  Virginia,   1904- 191 8. 

Sieg,  Mrs.  Grace  Olcott  Sands,  Virginia,  1004-1918. 

Slaymaker,  Mr.  Henry  Calvin,  Virginia,   1903-1903.* 

Smith,  Rev.  Plumer,  Missouri,   1912 — 

Smith,  Mrs.  Kate  Russell,  Missouri,  1915I — 


_>I4      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE   BELGIAN    CONGO 

Snyder,  Rev|  DeWitt  W.,  New  York,  1892-1902. 

Snyder,  Mrs.  May  Heigenbotham,  New   York,   1892-1896.* 

Snyder,   Mrs.  Gertrude   L.  Wood,   Massachusetts,   1899-1901. 

Stegall,    Mr.    Carroll    Richards,    Georgia,    1915 — 

Stegall,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Valdes,  Cuba,  1915 — 

Stevens   Rev.   Neil   Graham,   North   Carolina,    1912-1915. 

Stevens,   Mrs.  Annia  Laurie  Musser,  Virginia,    1912-1915. 

Stixrud,   Dr.   Thomas  T-,   Norway,    1914 — 

Stixrud,  Mrs.  Mary  Etta  Parks,  Missouri,  1917 — 

Vass,  Rev.  L.  C,  North  Carolina,  1898-1910. 

Verner,   Rev.  S.  Phillips,  South   Carolina,   1896- 1899. 

Vinson,    Rev.   T.   Chalmers,   Texas,    1912 — 

Vinson,   Mrs.   Nan   Wharton,   Texas,   1916 — 

Washburn,    Rev.   Hezekiah    M.,    Kentucky,    1912 — 

Washburn,    Mrs.    Lillie    Cuthbert    Chrisman,    Kentucky.    1912- 

Wharton,  Rev.  Conway  Taliaferro,  Texas,  191 5 — 

Wharton,  Mrs.  Ethel  Taylor,  Texas,  1915 — 

Wilds,  Rev.  Hugh,  South  Carolina,  191a — 

Wilds,  Mrs.  Luscille  Balfour    Keller,  South  Carolina,  1919 — 


SttbEX 


Adatnson,Mr.  D.  G.,  39,  40. 
Agriculture,  63-67. 
Agricultural    School,    66. 
Allen,  Rev.  J.  W.,  67. 
Altitude,  34,  105. 
American      Baptist      Foreign 
Missionary    Society,    22-25, 
116. 
Animism   107, 
Animals,    30,    154. 
Ancestral  Worship,  161. 
Atrocities,  184,  202,  205. 
Bakuba,   The,   27,   32,  40,   74, 

87,  99,  103-106. 
Barter  Goods,  146. 
Bakete,  The,  32-41,  6o,  75,  87, 

101. 
Baluba,  The,  27,  36,  38,  40-41, 
60,   69,   75,   90,   95,   97,    116, 
191-192. 
Baptist     Missionary     Society, 

English,  22-23,  116,  183. 
Bedinger,  Rev.  R.  D.,  95,  98. 
Belgian  Congo,  Its  Area,  21. 
Bena    Lula,    The,   42,   36,   38, 

40,  41.  60,  75.  87-89,  95- 
Berlin  Treaty,  The,   199-200. 
Bibangu   Station,  31,    103-106. 
Boma,  38. 
Boys,  53. 
Bukumba,  57-58. 
Bulape,   99-103. 


Caravan,  The,  147. 
Carson,   Mr.  and   Mrs. 
65. 


R.  C. 


Catholicism,  43,  61,  69,  85,  97, 
98,  105.  108,  138,  176-81,  183. 

Catechism,  The,  52. 

Catechumens,  163-166. 

Characteristics,    Native,    148. 

Christian  Endeavor,  The,  77, 
122. 

Christian  and  Missionary  Al- 
liance,  22. 

Chiefs,  Native,  137,  156,  157. 

Civilization,    Secular,     181-89. 

Climate,  The,  34. 

Comity,  Christian,  22,  98,  121. 

Congo  Balolo  Mission,  22,  24. 

Congo  Mission  News,  The 
22. 

Continuation  Committee,  The 

23- 
Congo   Inland   Mission,   The. 

23,    120. 
Congo    Free    State,    The    19, 

53,  90,  201,  203. 
Converts,    First,    77,    98,    102, 

116,  135- 
Conferences,  22,  127,  176. 
Coppedge,  Dr.  L.  J.,  53,  73. 
Cotton,  64. 
Deacons,  122. 

Death   Rate,   34,    Lapsley,  39. 
Delegations,  93,   105,   191. 
Diamonds,    189. 
Dima,  69,  195. 
Diseases,  70,  71,   159,   185. 
Disciples     of     Christ     Congo 

Mission,  24. 
Du  Plessis,  Rev.  J.,  21,  30. 


2l6      TRIUMPHS   OF   THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 


Edmiston,   Mrs.  A.  L.,   158. 
Educational  Work,  60-65. 
Elders,    122,    127. 
Endurance,    135-138. 
Evangelism,    1 14-120. 
Evangelists,  77-8,  95,  1 16-122. 

127. 
Evil    Spirits,    161. 
Explorations,  24,  27. 
Fair,  Miss  Elda  May,  73,  102. 

118. 
Fasting,    139. 
Fearing,    Miss   Maria,  40,   59- 

60. 
Fetishism,   161. 
Fevers,  26,  38,  39,  70. 
Foods,  64. 
Forests,    65,    153. 
Fruits,   64. 
Freedom     of     Religion,     200. 

204. 
Girls,  55,  75,  158. 
Giving,    132-135- 
God,   160. 
Government,   Native,   90,    101, 

Church,    121,    128. 
Grenfell,  Rev.  George,  25. 
Growth,    Religious,    77,    83-5, 

95,    106,    in. 

Healthfulness,  34. 
Hemp,  Indian,  88. 
Hillhouse.  Mr.  W.  L.,  67,  98. 
Hindrances,    106-111. 
Holy  Spirit,  The,  141. 
Hospitality,    156. 
Hospitals,    74. 
Housing,  36,   128,   157. 


Ibanche  Station,  74,  76,  99. 
Industrial     Education,     63-67. 

186-87. 
Industries,   158. 
Islam,    171-175. 
Itinerating,  83,   145. 

Jiggers,  37. 

Johnston,    H.    H.,  36,   45,   99, 
104. 

Kalamba     Mukenge,     38,     55. 

87,  88,  191. 
Kasai   Basin,   23-4. 
Kasai    Rubber    Company,   69. 

205-7. 
Kindness,  45,  47. 
Kinsha,  67,  70. 

Language,  The,  32,  37,  51-53- 
Lapsley,  Rev.  S.  N.,  19,  23,  24, 

26,   27-32,   33-41,   51. 
Lambuth,  Dr.  W.  R.,  98,  ill. 

116,  121,  140. 
Laziness  49,  64,  183. 
Leopoldville,    22,    24,    27,    32, 

38. 
Leprosy,  70. 
Liquor,    185. 
Losses,  39-40. 
Lower  Congo,  22,  23. 
Lubefu,  98. 

Luebo,  22-41,  46,  68,  84. 
Lukengu,    36,    55,    99. 
Lulua  People,  27,  60,  87,  95. 
Luluaburg,  38,  93. 
Lusambo,    32,    46,    93,    97-99. 

105-06,  135. 


INDEX 


217 


Markets,  129. 

Maria  Carey  Home,  75. 

Martin,    Rev.    Motte,  49,,   84. 

101. 
Matadi,  21,  25,  39. 
Mechanical    Possibilities,    63- 

64. 
Medical  Work  and  Needs,  70- 

74,  102. 
Memory  Work,  61. 
Mennonites,   The,   23,    119. 
Methodists,  The,  23,  98-9.  121. 

121. 
McKee,   Rev.  George   T.,   95. 

105. 
McKinnon,  Rev.  A.  C,  98. 
McKowen,  Mrs.,  74. 
Mineral    Resources,    63,    186. 

189. 
Missionary  Staff,  109-10. 
MnhammP'1o,li,!"i.   I7I-I75- 
Morrison,  Rev.  W.  M.,  D.  D.. 

51,-2,    75,   93,   95,    no,    122. 

139,  213,  215-17. 
Morrison,  Mrs.  W.  M.,  93,  95. 

97- 
Mott,    Dr.  Jno.   R.,   173,    192, 

194. 
Mountains,  21,  23,  153. 
Mutoto  Station,  95. 
Mushenge,  75-6,   101,   102. 

Ngeya  Kalamba,  141. 
Noises,   159. 

Openness,  31,  89,  98,  102,  106, 

in,  189-92. 
Opposition,  108,  138. 
Organiztion,  Church,  121-128. 


Palavers,  48-49 
Pantops  Home,  55-66.   139- 
Pastors,    Native,    124-127. 
Patton,   Dr.   C.   H.,    166,   172. 

175,  182,  184,  186. 
Persecution,    106,    136,-138. 
Personal  Work,   119. 
Plains,  154. 

Polyamy,  137,   157,  166. 
Populations,  32. 
Poverty,  128. 
Prayer,    116-117,    119,    138-41. 

195- 
Presbytery,  Native,  128. 
Protestanism,     22,     108,     176- 

181,  183. 
Providences,    17,    20,    22,    31, 

32,  39,  40,  97. 

Railroads,  182. 
Reavis.   Dr.  J.  O.,   133- 
Receptive,  Natives,  89,  93,  98. 

102,  106,  in,  189-192. 
Religious  Customs,  160-162. 
Religious   Freedom,    109,   200. 

204. 
Reptiles,  154. 

Responsibility,  83,  116,  122. 
Resources  of  Congo,  63. 
Rivers,  Congo,  21,  23;  Kasai. 

23-32,    97;    Lulua,    27,    30; 

Lubilash,  48,   105,   106,   154; 

Sankuru,  27,  32,  97,  99. 
Romanism,  176-181. 
Rochester,    Mrs.    A.    A.,    76, 

101. 
Rowbotham,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.. 

39-40. 


2l8      TRIUMPHS   OF  THE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    BELGIAN    CONGO 


Self-government,  121-128. 
Self-propagation,  115-117. 
Self-support,     118,     126,     128- 

135.  I4i- 
Seminary  Theological,  63,  95. 
Sickness,  Sleeping,  7Q-71- 
Sieg,  Rev.  J.  McC,  53,  69. 
Scenery,  Kasai,  29. 
Schools,  Day  and  Evangelists. 

60-63,  95. 
Scott.  Mr.  W.  G.,  68. 
Sheppard.  Rev.  W.  H.,  D.  D.. 

19.  23-27,  35,  38-39,  74.  139. 

205-207 
Slavery,  36,  46,  47,-48,  53,  55. 

90. 
Slaymaker,  Mr.  H.  C,  29. 
Snyder,  Dr.  D.  W.,  39-40,  51. 
Springer,   Rev.  J   M,   186 
Stanley    Pool,    21,   22,    25,   68. 
Stegall,  Mr.  C.  R.,  6«J. 
Stevens,  Kev.  J.  R.  M.,  121 
Steamer,    S.    N.    Lapsley,    29- 

30,  67-70. 
Stilz,   Mr.   E.   B.,  99. 
Superstitions,   57,   71. 
Swedish       Missionary,       So- 
ciety. 22. 

Tests,  ChurchMembership,  89. 

122,164.-166. 
Tithing,    132. 
Topography,   153-154. 
Trail,  The,  153- 
Transport    Bases,    19-21. 
Treaty  of  Berlin,  199-200. 


Trial,      Drs.      Morrison      and 

Sheppard,   205-207. 
Translations,  51-53. 
Tuscaloosa  Institute,   19. 

Upper    Congo,   23. 
Underhill,   39. 

Vandervelde,    M.    Emile,    206- 

207. 
Vass,  Rev.  L.  C.  68. 
Verner.  Rev.  S.  P.  48. 
Village,  The   Native,   156. 
Vinson,  Rev.  T.  C,  51,  84. 
Voluntary  Workers,  117-119. 

L33- 
Volunteers,   194. 

•Washburn,    Rev.    H.   M.,    101, 

118. 
Wealth,    128,    195. 

WeStcntt      B-"'!'""      Mice.'. — , 
23- 

Wembo,    Niama,   98,    121. 
Witch-doctor,,  The,  72,  91- 
Witnessing,  116-121. 
Wilson,  Rev.  J.  L.,  17. 
Wilson,   Rev.  C.  E„   183,   193- 
Wharton,  Rev.  C.  T.,  53,  101- 

102. 
White,    Mr.    Robert,    20,    206. 
Whyte,  Ridsdale  and  Co.,  20. 
Woman,  Condition  of,  56,  88, 

158. 
Work,  Natives  at,  158. 

Zappo-zaps,  32,  33,  36,  38,  46, 
48,   55,  90-93,  95,   205. 


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